Obituaries
Obit Blames Lawyer’s Death on Stress of Law Firm Job
Posted Dec 13, 2007, 09:20 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
An obituary apparently written by a lawyer’s widow blames his stressful law firm job for his heart attack.
“Robert Bruce Evanick (always known as Bruce to those who loved him—and those who employed him and exploited his work ethic)—died Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 4, 2007. A massive heart attack killed him,” reads the obituary published in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
“His death should be a warning to all those who believe that they are being used by insensitive employers. He deserved better, both in life and death. Bruce had been seduced into a sedentary and high-stress lifestyle after he moved to New Orleans by the promise of ‘big money’ from a corporate defense law firm. Essentially, his succumbing to that seduction and his devotion to duty caused his death.”
A hat tip to Above the Law, which posted the obituary.
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Comments
Posted by Brenda Evanick - 8 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes ago
I’m the grieving widow who wrote that obituary. I’d welcome comments.
Posted by Abbey =) - 8 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 36 minutes ago
I think the woman has a point. I can’t blame her for being bitter.
Posted by Gina Rowsam - 8 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes ago
This is so sad and so unnecessary. My sincere condolences to you, Brenda Working in the field of law professional and career development, I see all too often how the denial of stress (by individuals and organizations) can invade, disrupt, and kill all manner of life and derail careers. For an example of how it can be different, I invite you to read about and watch a story that relates to stress in the legal profession in the WSJ titled Even Lawyers Get the Blues: Opening Up About Depression - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119751245108525653-email.html. When people are free to talk about what’s real, life happens.
Posted by Kate - 8 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes ago
My sincere condolences to you and your family, sometimes you never heed the warnings until you read something like this.
Posted by Mel - 8 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, 54 minutes ago
The problem is not just with his law firm, but with the entire culture and mindset at most law firms. There’s this mentality that if you don’t want to work ___ hours a year, that you’re less committed to your job, and somehow less capable of doing high quality work. But just because you don’t want to work every single weekend, doesn’t mean you won’t work a weekend or two when it is necessary, and it certainly doesn’t mean that the work product on the matters you are assigned are inferior.
Posted by REB - 8 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 4 hours, 33 minutes ago
With all respect, blaming work,law or stress for a massive MI is not exactly the scientific. I have been a trial lawyer for 27 years and now have outlived the age my father died of a heart attack, and he was not a lawyer. If your husband enjoyed his career and life, well to quote Gus from Lonesome Dove: “ ife is short, and shorter for some than others.”