8/29/2025

Friday, August 29, 2025

D+ 293/222/-1240

1957  Democratic Senator Strom Thurmond ended the longest-ever U.S. filibuster of 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act

2005 Hurricane Katrina made its second and third landfalls as a Category 3 hurricane, devastating much of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 people and causing over $115 billion in damage

2022 Worst violence in Iraqi capital Baghdad in years with 30 killed and 700 injured after Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr announced his withdrawal from politics

Geri's second knee surgery

In bed at 10:30, after a one hour nap between 8 & 9, up at 7:10.  58°, high of 67°, partly cloudy.    

Meds, etc.  Morning meds at 11 a.m.  Forgot to inject Trulicity.😪

Charles Dennis Clausen, age 8-, beloved husband of . . . I did write a draft of my own biography  as a rough obituary as part of the Death Dossier I prepared for Geri on the assumption that I will, as the lawyers say, predecease her.  It must, in the nature of things, be like Earl Pickles's.😇  I found it on my old MacBook Pro downstairs and copied it here for future reference.   I brought the dossier upstairs to review and to go over with Geri.   I looked at Tom St. John's obituaries, both the one on the funeral home website, which was also the one in the local newspaper, and thought how sterile it was: a list of relatives and information about visitation, the funeral, and shiva.  No sense whatsoever of the man who lived a life for 78 years other than his having relatives and having died.  I wonder what Tom would have written of his own life, what he hoped to be remember of him: his summa cum laude law degree, his Army service, his clerkship for Judge Myron Gordon, his law practice, his many board memberships, his catalyzing of friendships, his carpentry, his playing basketball despite his lack of depth perception, his Bean's Lake sancturary, etc.  Perhaps it's mere sentimentalism to say he deserved a better remembrance, but he surely did.  I was privileged by Micaela to deliver a eulogy, but I wish I had also been able to write a better obituary for him.  So I'm in sympathy with Earl Pickles and his effort to write his own obituary.  

DRAFT:

CHARLES DENNIS CLAUSEN died in ________ on _______, 202__.  

He was born on August 24, 1941 in the Englewood Hospital on the South Side of Chicago.  He lived in the Englewood neighborhood until leaving for college at Milwaukee’s Marquette University in 1959.  He attended St. Leo Grammar School and Leo High School.  At Marquette, he was a midshipman in the Naval ROTC program and president of the midshipmen’s professional and social Anchor & Chain Society.  

On graduation in 1963, he was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the U. S. Marine Corps where he served until discharged as a captain in 1967.  He served in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966 as well as on Okinawa and in Iwakuni, Japan.  Iwakuni was very near Hiroshima and its atom bomb Peace Memorial, which then-lieutenant Clausen visited in 1965.  His time in Hiroshima, service in Vietnam, and his experience as a Casualties Assistance Calls Officer during his last year of active duty, coupled with living with his father’s emotional wounds from his Marine Corps service on Iwo Jima in WWII all contributed to a lifelong aversion to warfare, antipathy toward military adventurism, and deep skepticism toward most assurances from military and civilian authorities about the necessity for and success in military interventions.

After his service in the Marines, Charles Clausen attended Marquette University Law School where he was elected editor-in-chief of the Marquette Law Review and graduated with honors in 1970.  On graduation, he was appointed to the full-time faculty.  He served on the faculty for more than 20 years, most often full-time but also on the adjunct faculty.  When he wasn’t teaching, he practiced law with the firm of Friebert Finerty and St. John in downtown Milwaukee.  After retiring, he engaged in various volunteer activities at Riveredge Nature Center and assisted an occupational therapist who provided hippotherapy, i.e., therapy on horseback, to children with severe disabilities.

Over the years, he served on the governing boards of a number of Milwaukee civic, religious, and not-for-profit organizations including the City of Milwaukee Public Housing Authority, Messmer High School, Esperanza Unida, Legal Action of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Bar Association.  He served as board member, treasurer and, for a short time, as president of the Milwaukee Ballet Foundation.  For a number of years, he was a member of the parish council of St. Francis of Assisi parish at 4th and Brown Streets in Milwaukee.  After retiring from the law school faculty, he served from 2000 into 2003 as executive director of The House of Peace, a Capuchin Franciscan community center at 17th and Walnut Streets in Milwaukee.

He is survived by his beloved wife Geraldine Aquavia Clausen, his daughter Sarah Clausen [Christian Kovacs], son Andrew Clausen [Anh Hoang Clausen, Peter, Elizabeth, Andrew), stepson Steven Kevil [Nicole Onorato], stepson David Kevil [Sharon Celek Kevil, Ellis], nephew Michael Reck and niece Chrissie Reck, Maricopa County, AZ, children of his beloved sister Catherine Clausen Reck, who predeceased him on March 3, 2022.

I won't have a funeral service to preplan because I've made arrangements for a "green burial" at Forest Home Cemetery.  I do expect that there will be a memorial gathering of some sort and I do expect to provide some last wishes for that event.  I've already put together a box of photos, etc., that I'd like to have displayed, mainly so my grandchildren will have a better understanding of who their grandfather was.

Here is the Chat GPT AI version of the Grok version of my original obit:  Each AI version took about 2 seconds to compose:

In Loving Memory of Charles Dennis Clausen

Charles Dennis Clausen, 81, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on [date], 202[3], surrounded by his loving family. Born on August 24, 1941, at Englewood Hospital on Chicago’s South Side, Charles lived a life defined by service, intellect, and compassion—leaving an indelible mark on his community and all who knew him.

Raised in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, Charles attended St. Leo Grammar School and Leo High School before beginning his studies at Marquette University in 1959. At Marquette, he distinguished himself as a midshipman in the Naval ROTC program, serving as president of the Anchor & Chain Society. Upon graduation in 1963, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of Captain before his honorable discharge in 1967. His service included deployments in Vietnam (1965–1966), Okinawa, and Iwakuni, Japan, where a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial left a lasting impression and deepened his commitment to peace. His work as a Casualty Assistance Calls Officer, as well as reflections on his father’s World War II service on Iwo Jima, further shaped his lifelong skepticism of war and devotion to justice.

After his military service, Charles returned to Marquette for law school, where he excelled as editor-in-chief of the Marquette Law Review and graduated with honors in 1970. He went on to teach at Marquette Law School for more than 20 years, both full-time and as an adjunct professor, while also practicing law with the distinguished firm Friebert, Finerty & St. John in Milwaukee. Following his retirement, Charles dedicated his time and talents to volunteer service, including work at the Riveredge Nature Center and in hippotherapy programs providing therapeutic horseback riding for children with disabilities.

Charles gave generously of his time to his community, serving on the governing boards of civic, religious, and nonprofit organizations including the City of Milwaukee Public Housing Authority, Messmer High School, Esperanza Unida, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee Bar Association. He also served as treasurer and board member of the Milwaukee Ballet Foundation, briefly as its president, and as parish council member at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. From 2000 to 2003, he was the executive director of The House of Peace, a Capuchin Franciscan community center in Milwaukee.

Throughout his life, Charles was known for his integrity, sharp intellect, and unwavering compassion. He was a man of gentle wisdom and quick wit who found joy in meaningful conversation, community service, and, above all, time with his family.

Charles is survived by his beloved wife, Geraldine Aquavia Clausen; his daughter, Sarah Clausen (Christian Kovacs); his son, Andrew Clausen (Anh Hoang Clausen), and their children Peter, Elizabeth, and Andrew; his stepsons, Steven Kevil (Nicole Onorato) and David Kevil (Sharon Celek Kevil, and their son Ellis); and his nephew, Michael Reck, and niece, Chrissie Reck of Maricopa County, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his cherished sister, Catherine Clausen Reck, on March 3, 2022, and by his parents.

A memorial service will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 4th and Brown Streets, Milwaukee, on [date and time]. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The House of Peace or the Riveredge Nature Center, causes close to Charles’ heart.

Charles’ memory will endure in the countless lives he touched with his love, wisdom, and generosity. He will be deeply missed and forever cherished.

Would you like me to prepare a shorter version as well—something streamlined for a newspaper death notice, while keeping this fuller version for the memorial program?

You said:

Yes 

ChatGPT said:

Here’s a shorter obituary version that condenses the key facts and legacy into a newspaper-style notice, while still honoring Charles’ life:

Charles Dennis Clausen

Charles Dennis Clausen, 81, of Milwaukee, passed away peacefully on [date], 202[3], surrounded by family. Born August 24, 1941, in Chicago, Charles lived a life of service, scholarship, and compassion.

A graduate of Marquette University, he served as a U.S. Marine Corps captain with deployments in Vietnam, Okinawa, and Japan. He later earned his law degree from Marquette, where he was editor-in-chief of the Marquette Law Review, and went on to teach at the law school and practice with Friebert, Finerty & St. John.

Charles devoted his later years to community service, volunteering at Riveredge Nature Center and with hippotherapy programs, and serving on the boards of many civic and nonprofit organizations. From 2000 to 2003, he was executive director of The House of Peace in Milwaukee.

He is survived by his wife, Geraldine; children Sarah (Christian Kovacs) and Andrew (Anh Hoang Clausen) and their children Peter, Elizabeth, and Andrew; stepsons Steven Kevil (Nicole Onorato) and David Kevil (Sharon Celek Kevil, Ellis); and nephew Michael Reck and niece Chrissie Reck. He was preceded in death by his sister, Catherine Reck, and his parents.

A memorial service will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Milwaukee, on [date]. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The House of Peace or Riveredge Nature Center.

Would you like me to make an even briefer version (just a few sentences) for a funeral home website or newspaper death notice, where space is very limited?

A moulting song sparrow, a moulting female cardinal, and a mourning dove walk into a bar . . .  Just a thought that came to mind LTMW at these three birds sharing the goodies on the tray feeder.  

Some wisdom on the T-shirt of a man at Sendik's.  "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about."  Maybe not everyone, but a lot of us.  It may be family fractures, work problems, or plaguing regrets over any number of things, but it's good to remember that a good many of us are struggling with something.  Be kind.  Be careful with judgments.  

Legal Education, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.  This morning's Washington Post has an op-ed by Lael Weinberger titled "Liberals and Conservatives Agree This ABA Monopoly Must End" about ABA's monopoly control over much of legal education.  There was a similar plea in the WaPo in an op-ed, or letter to the editor, on December 3, 2007, to which I posted this comment:

PBosleySlogthrop

Wow, what a curious set of thoughts. Having practiced law for many years and taught at a private law school for many years, I agree with some of what Mr. Cohen writes. He is correct, I believe that law school tuition is unnecessarily high. In preparing for testimony before a state bar commission on "access to justice," I did a study on tuition increases at my own law school since my student days. Over the period of the study, the consumer price index had quadrupled but tuition had increased ninefold. The quality of the professional education had not increased significantly. Indeed, a pretty good argument could be made that it had decreased because the faculty had become ever more 'eggheaded.' The faculty were not interested much in the practice of law; it was in large measure to escape the onerous demands of the practice of law that they sought refuge in the law school. The curriculum came to include more and more esoteric and liberal arts-type courses that may well have been interesting, but realistically were of rather little value as preparation for the practice of law. Tuition kept going up because of the availability of educational loan money, the students' willingness (probably the wrong word in many cases) to incur very large debts, and the university's practice of skimming off a good share of the law school's profits to support things like the graduate program in the theology department. And let us not forget the American Bar Association's role in the steady increase of law school revenues. The ABA entered into a consent decree with the US Justice Department (before it became corrupted) that (if I recall correctly) essentially admitted a form of price-fixing in its accreditation activities. In sum, there is much to be pretty disgusted about in American legal education.

On the other hand, how are these systemic problems helped by conscripting all law school graduates for two years of required service in 'the public sector'? Do you equate, Mr. C., working for the government with working for, e.g., the Salvation Army? And how many conscripted new law grads would do what many new law grads have done for years, i.e., get a job in government that will give them a leg up in getting a job with those law factories you abhor? A stint with the IRS or SEC or EPA can be turned to good use working for a big firm on behalf of big money corporate interests. Lastly, why do you ignore that substantial sector of the legal practice that serves non-corporate clients, the solo practitioners and small firm lawyers who help people with 'personal plights'? Surely the most legally underrepresented sector of American society is not units of government or not-for-profit institutions, but rather middle-class and working-class citizens who are hard-pressed to afford the services of any competent lawyers. They are the ones paying those inflated prices for products and services that you complain about, Mr. C. How about some help for them while you're conscripting young lawyers?

Posted by: P. Bosley Slogthrop | December 3, 2007 04:46 AM

I tried to repost it, but it was rejected as too long.

More work was done on the driveways today, burying the culvert drain tubes and smoothing the driveways so we can park the cars off the street now.