Rick Thomas Haselton, a”h, (Daniel Meir ben Avraham v’Sarah) passed away May 17, 2023, at the age of 69. Rick is survived by his wife, Sura Rubenstein; daughter, Malia (Molly) Haselton, a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton in California; sister, Diane (Haselton) Landers and her husband, Greg Landers, of Portland; nephew, Tom Landers, of Portland; and many Schantz and Wilcox aunts, uncles and cousins and their children.

Rick was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals by Gov. Barbara Roberts on March 3, 1994.

At that time, he was 40 years old and had been in private law practice for some 14 years, most of them at the Lindsay, Hart, Neil & Weigler firm. He had joined the firm of Haglund, Kirtley & Kelley just before his appointment to the appellate court, and the HKK firm took out an ad in the Oregon Bar Journal announcing their newest partner – and congratulating him on his appointment to the Court of Appeals. 

When he retired on Dec. 31, 2015, his 21 years of service on the Oregon Court of Appeals made him the longest-serving judge in the history of that court. He had been Chief Judge of the court since 2012 and continued to hear cases as a senior judge for several years.
Rick was born Nov. 5, 1953, in Albany, Ore. His parents divorced early; his mother, Shirley Schantz Haselton, was a teacher at what is now West Albany High School and later became a professor in the School of Education at Oregon State University. 

Rick said recently that a photo of “Little Ricky” playing in his bathtub expressed his essence. He had never changed from that little boy, happy to be splashing, making a mess and just enjoying life. He took such delight in everyday blessings and the wonders of the world around him. He loved a good milkshake, his daily “medicinal” glass or two of red wine, good Scotch, old and new friends, books, ballgames and mowing the lawn.

He loved family – Sura so much that they celebrated three separate weddings (there’s a story there!). Most of all, he loved being a father – he and Molly were a team, often co-conspirators, and the best of buddies. This last August, the Great American Father-Daughter Cross-Country Road Trip from Virginia to California was a special memory, complete with commemorative travel mugs and great stories from stops along the way.

A onetime altar boy in Albany, Rick embraced Judaism as an adult, found joy in its rituals and wisdom, and abiding friendships across the spectrum of Jewish life. As the “Orthodox judge” at the Oregon Court of Appeals, he appreciated the Court staff’s efforts to accommodate his religious practice – and took a measure of delight in how his non-Jewish carpool mates always worried about leaving early enough on dark winter Fridays so he could be home in time for candlelighting. 

Rick graduated from what is now West Albany High School and then earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Stanford University in 1976.  He received his law degree from Yale Law School in 1979, then returned to Oregon to serve as a clerk to the late Alfred T. “Ted” Goodwin, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers nine western states, before beginning work with the Lindsay Hart law firm.

He considered the Oregon Court of Appeals the place he was meant to be. His clerks became a part of his family, and he delighted in their achievements. 

In the Jewish community, he served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Portland Jewish Academy and Congregation Kesser Israel, where he also served as president. He also served on the Jewish Community Relations Council, where he was especially interested in the Overseas Special Projects. 

Other community activities included the Senior Law Project (as volunteer lawyer) on the Multnomah County Legal Aid Service Board of Directors, the ACLU of Oregon, the Volunteer Lawyers Project and various Oregon State Bar committees, including a stint at chair of the Oregon State Board of Bar Examiners.

Recently, and repeatedly, he would say, “I’ve had a blessed life.” He was grateful for everything he had, appreciative of every grace and someone who made every moment brighter. A mensch. 

Donations in Rick’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice or one of the charities Rick enjoyed giving his time and money to: ALS Association of Oregon, Congregation Kesser Israel, Maayan Torah Day School, the Portland Kollel, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the Marine Corps Association Foundation, De La Salle North Catholic High School, Cedar Sinai Park and St. Mary’s Academy.