Gunther H. Kilsch, an attorney in New York, passed away on October 3, 2018 at the age of 88. He died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital surrounded by loved ones.  He was the beloved husband of Kathryn, father of Nanci, Peter, Ann and Sarah, and grandfather of Jason, Alexander, William and Jacob. 

Mr. Kilsch was born on January 8, 1930 in New York, NY to Friedrich and Toni Kilsch.  He grew up in Flushing, Queens where he graduated from Bayside High School, and Queens College. He went on to attend NYU Law School where he met the love of his life Kathryn Severance. They went on to marry and spent 60 years together, raising their family in New York.

Mr. Kilsch served in the United States Army during the Korean War, stationed at Fort Dix, as a supply sergeant and arms artificer. He also trained soldiers in marksmanship and was an expert marksman himself.

Mr. Kilsch was an attorney active in the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA); he was a past chair and member of the Trial Lawyers Section from 1978 to 1979 and he established the Section’s highly successful Trial Advocacy Program which continues to this day. He was also a member of the following NYSBA sections: Environmental Law; Elder Law; Health Law; Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law; General Practice and Food, Drug and Cosmetic Law.

In addition, Mr. Kilsch served on the Committee on Tort Reparations from 1992 to 1997, which he chaired; the Task Force to Consider Tort Reform Proposals from 1997 to 2001; and the Ad Hoc Committee on the Jury System from 1997 to 2001. He also served on the Special Committee on Medical Malpractice from 1992 to 1995, the Special Committee on AIDS and the Law from 1989 to 1992 and the Committee on Bylaws from 1984 to 1991.

Mr. Kilsch was also a Fellow of The New York Bar Foundation. In addition to his NYSBA activities, Kilsch maintained professional affiliations with the American Bar Association (ABA), serving on the Health Law, Litigation, and Tort & Insurance Practice Sections; and the American Board of Trial Advocates, serving on its National Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter. He was also a Fellow of the ABA.

Mr. Kilsch served as program chair and lecturer for numerous continuing legal education programs, is listed in multiple issues of The Best Lawyers in America, was a guest commentator for Court TV and a guest on Inside Albany, a PBS program that is run statewide.  In March of 2017, Mr. Kilsch was named a Lifetime Achiever by Marquis Who’s Who as a leader in the law industry.  Also in March 2017, the book Medical Malpractice in New York, published by the New York State Bar Association, was dedicated to Mr. Kilsch and two of his colleagues.

Gunther is survived by his wife Kathryn, children Nanci, Ann, and Sarah, and grandchildren Jason, Alexander, Jacob, and William. 

A wake will be held Wednesday from 3-8 pm at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, on October 10, 2018.  The funeral will be held at Christ Church Riverdale, at 11 a.m., on October 11, 2018. Committal Private.