Richard Alan Kraemer

On July 25, 2012 our beloved husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend, Richard A. Kraemer, passed into eternal rest at the age of 67 on Daniel Island, South Carolina. He was remembered as a brilliant trial attorney, cherished father and friend to many people. The relatives and friends of Richard Kraemer are invited to attend his Funeral Service on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 in The Church of the Holy Cross – Daniel Island, 299 Seven Farms Road, Daniel Island, SC at 11:00 am. Burial will follow in Mount Pleasant Memorial Gardens. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 in the Mount Pleasant Chapel from 6:30 until 8:30 pm.

He was born March 15, 1945 in Garden City, NY. He attended the prestigious Lawrenceville Prep School for his upper level grad studies in Lawrenceville, NJ excelling in academics, swimming and lacrosse. He won the English Student Union scholarship and lived in England for a year attending Marlborough College. He went on to study history at Williams College in Williamstown, MA graduating in 1966 with his Bachelor of Arts degree after only three years of study. While at Williams he was a member and active participant in campus Greek life and was a member of the Williams swim team. After his undergraduate studies he was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1966 and finished with his Doctorate degree in law in 1969. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1970 and the New York bar in 1982, respectively. He was selected to become a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Caleb Layton, United States District Court, Delaware. Upon finishing his clerkship he accepted a position with the Frank and Margolis law firm in Philadelphia, PA and eventually became a senior partner in that firm with its renaming to Margolis, Edelstein, Scherlis, Sarowitz and Kraemer. He was a noted defense trial attorney in the state of Pennsylvania and was well known for his excellent trial and oratory skills; including official recognition on numerous occasions for his litigation skills. He had tried over 300 cases to verdict over a wide range of legal areas of law from personal injury to FELA to patent infringement throughout his illustrious career. Later in his legal career, in 1992, he accepted a senior shareholder position with the national firm of Marshall, Dennehy, Coleman, Warner and Goggin and went on to head both their insurance litigation and professional liability litigation departments including starting their intellectual property litigation division, respectively. He was a proud member of the American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bars along with many other law-related organizations. He chaired or co-chaired several organizations including the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel, National Associations of Railroad Trial Counsel and the Defense Research Institute. Richard truly loved and appreciated his honorable profession as his family, friends and colleagues could readily agree.
Outside of the practice of law Richard enjoyed spending his free time with his family golfing, swimming and traveling the globe quite extensively with them over the years. He also loved his family dogs throughout his life and was a voracious reader of every type of book imaginable. He retired in 2004 and moved with his beloved wife, Barbara, and their children to Daniel Island, South Carolina.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ameika Kraemer of Daniel Island, SC; sons, Walter F. Harris, Brent A. Harris, Christopher A. Kraemer, and Andrew J. Kraemer; daughter, Victoria S. Kraemer; one brother, Alfred Kraemer; four grandchildren, Michael Harris, Kyle Harris, William Harris and Daniel Harris. He was preceded in death by a son, Stephen Todd Kraemer.

He greatly enjoyed retirement and passed his days reading and playing golf at the Daniel Island Country Club. In the end, we can say that he led a good life, a happy life, an honorable life and passed peacefully. He never met a person whom he would not engage in conversation and he was well liked by all. We will always remember him for the good man he was and he will always be in our hearts. God Bless you, Dad.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the American Stroke Association National Center, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231.