Robert Jackson

I am very sad that Bob Jackson has passed away. 

Bob was a passionate guy — a lover of books, art, family, and friends. He was honest and loyal. His clients were grateful for his wisdom and guidance. With a professional background in securities law, Bob was an expert in corporate planning. His documents were meticulous. If your work for him wasn’t up to his standards he told you so, and then he engaged with you to make it better one line and one comma at a time. 

Bob was very proud of Kohrman Jackson & Krantz. His office was decorated with art and artifacts was like none I have ever seen. His sense of style extended to our firm’s design tradition of natural materials wherever possible and no names on doors or hanging diplomas. Bob cared about the people he worked with. Even when he was no longer physically able, every time we spoke he asked how the firm was doing. He always wanted to see each attorney, paralegal, secretary, and especially each client grow and succeed. 

Bob loved his wife Donna. They traveled the world together. They collected interesting and unique art some of which graces the walls and display areas of our firm. Together they also collected interesting friends many of whom maintained decades long relationships. Later in life, Bob and Donna also made generous donations to museums and libraries around the world from some of their literary and artistic collections. 

Bob loved his children Doug and Karen and also his grandchildren. He rejoiced in their successes. Family parties when they were together often included sleepovers and were known to go on for days. 

Bob will be missed for his leadership, loyalty, and friendship. 

The one word that comes to mind when I think of Bob Jackson is “eclectic.” From his collection of rare first edition books, to his travels to aboriginal New Guinea. He was as comfortable giving a talk in San Francisco on the writer William Burroughs and the beats as he was in his beloved rose garden.

If anyone ever deserved to be described as a unique individual it was Bob Jackson.  When I joined KJK in 1985, I knew that Bob was a smart and successful lawyer.  Only later did I learn that he was a Renaissance man.  The breadth of his knowledge and interests and expertise was astounding. Bob taught me a lot about the business of being a lawyer, and I am grateful for his mentoring.  But the most notable thing about Bob, in my view, was his unbounded love for Donna, Douglas and Karen, and their families. Family meant everything to him.  Rest in peace Bob.  We will never forget you.

My office was next to Bob’s for over 20 years.  I got used to hearing Bob shouting out to his beloved assistant, Jan, to “get so-and-so on the phone.” Then, when so-and-so answered, Jan would shout back to Bob “So-and-so is on the phone.”   I knew a lot about who Bob talked to during the day.

I have said that Bob was ahead of his time…When I applied to work at KJK in 1983, Bob interviewed me, and I was offered an associate’s position.  He later told me he was the FIRST to hire a female lawyer in Cleveland, and I believe he was at least one of the first.  He also had an absolute ban on hanging diplomas on the walls of our offices.  I learned the hard way that this wasn’t just a guideline but an absolute prohibition.  I respected his thinking—first, he believed that none of us needed to brag about where we attended law school; if we were at KJK, that was more than enough to prove our capabilities.  And, the ban on diplomas and focus on the art and artifacts in the office created a very vibrant and contemporary atmosphere—one that still exists today.