Phillip Figa brought passion to law

By Burt Hubbard, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 6, 2008 at 9:14 p.m.

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Phillip Figa was the son of Holocaust survivors.

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When Phillip Figa was sworn in as U.S. district judge in Denver in 2003, more than 1,000 well-wishers crowded into the federal courthouse to pay homage to their friend, colleague and mentor.

Since Mr. Figa's family last year set up a Web site after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, more than 11,000 people have visited it to give him support in his battle.

Sunday, the day after Mr. Figa lost the battle at age 56, friends and family from around the country shared recollections about the jurist, family man and outdoor enthusiast.

"We should have a million people like Phil Figa," longtime friend Stuart Pack said. "The world would be a better place. No question about it."

Mr. Figa was born in 1951 in Skokie, Ill. His parents were both Holocaust survivors from Poland, Pack said.

It was a subject he felt passionate about, said Saul Rosenthal, former executive director of the Mountain States region of the Anti-Defamation League. Mr. Figa was chairman of the league's board in the 1990s.

"He was very concerned about Holocaust awareness and Holocaust denial," Rosenthal said.

Pack said Mr. Figa got an Evans Scholarship to attend Northwestern University. Mr. Figa remained grateful for the rest of his life, helping to keep the program going for other students, Pack said.

Mr. Figa later graduated from Cornell University Law School. He and his wife, Candace, were married in 1973 in King of Prussia, Pa.

He initially practiced law with Sherman & Howard until 1980 when he became a founding partners in Burns, Figa and Will.

Pack said Mr. Figa brought passion and integrity to the field of law.

"He was a hard, but clean fighter," Pack said.

Mr. Figa served a stint as president of the Colorado Bar Association.

"Phil was good for his word and that was the end of the conversation," Rosenthal said.

In 2003, President Bush nominated Mr. Figa as a U.S. district judge in Denver. His nomination breezed through the Senate.

Mr. Figa was equally active outside the courtroom as an avid skier and bicyclist, Pack said.

Candace Figa, also an attorney, said her husband had no fear when it came to skiing, often treating out-of-town guests to expert black runs.

"Phil was always leading them to places like taking them down something called Tornado Alley," Candace Figa said. "In fact, one of our friends from Chicago brought him a button to wear that said 'trust me.' "

He also liked to bike over the mountain passes, Rosenthal said.

"When we were up in the mountains together, I'd say 'I'm going for a walk' and he'd say 'I'm going to ride over Vail Pass.' "

And he was devoted to his family, especially his son, Ben, and daughter, Lizzie, Pack and Rosenthal said.

"He went to a higher court way too early," Candace Figa said.

Besides his wife and children, he is survived by his parents, Leon and Sarah Figa, of Niles, Ill., and a brother, Cantor Stewart Figa, of Chicago.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Rodef Shalom, 450 S. Kearney St. Burial will follow at Mount Nebo Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Rose Community Foundation, 600 S. Cherry St., Glendale, CO 80246; the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, 4500 E. Ninth Avenue, Denver, CO 80220, or The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710.

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