Deceased August 7, 2016
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In Memory
David Marshall Borden passed away at age 79 on Aug. 7, 2016. He was a shining light from the time I first met him at age 9 at our religious school in Hartford. We continued to be friends throughout our years in the Hartford public schools. We were classmates, friends, competitors, roommates our first year at Amherst, fraternity brothers, and colleagues in the legal world.
To me he was always Dave. He was always someone to admire. We grew up together in a changing urban environment and had the opportunity to mix with varied cultures, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. From his early years, Dave flourished, set a glowing example of leadership, good humor, broad depth of thought, and tremendous intellectual curiosity.
In 1958, he worked for Senator John F. Kennedy, and in 1962, he married the love of his life, Judith Holland, who joined him on a wonderful path that lasted all these years.
David joined his father, Harold Borden, in private practice at the firm of Borden and Borden. As a very gifted professional, Dave was principally responsible for the 1969 revision of the Connecticut Penal Code, working with the State Legislature. His scholarly endeavors bubbled to the top throughout his legal and judicial career.
Dave was first appointed to the bench in 1977. Six years later he became one of the original five judges to sit on the newly created Connecticut Appellate Court. In 1990, he joined the Connecticut Supreme Court and became Justice Borden. He reached mandatory retirement age in 2007 and thereafter functioned as a state trial referee, and kept working even after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Beyond his duties in the court system, Dave was involved in a wide range of community activities. He was on the Board of the Justice Education Center for 28 years, a director of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, received a Public Service Award in 1997, and most recently, was the point person for the Eyewitness Identification Task Force presentation, a national gathering addressing the validity of eyewitness identification testimony. This took place at Yale a couple of months ago. Dave could not attend because of his illness.
He was an avid reader and loved hiking the White Mountains and the Appalachian Trail.
In 2008 he was nominated to be the governor of the Red Sox Nation but declined because he felt it would be improper for a member of the judiciary to endorse a professional sports team. He was always concerned about the perception or actual propriety of judicial behavior. His ethical standards were impeccable.
A sister predeceased him long ago. He is survived by his brother, Dr. Walter Borden ’55.
Dave and Judy have three children, Doug, Tom and Katherine. Over the years, a small group of our classmates––Dave, Peter Ribicoff, John Dean, Dick Spaulding and I––would gather at least annually with spouses. They were heartwarming, rewarding, and wonderful occasions.
Fred Newmann also shared many experiences with Dave after Amherst––music, theater, discussions of law and politics, Dave and Judy’s first camping trip.
All who have had the privilege of knowing Dave know that the shining light and glow he exhibited will last far beyond his lifetime. It has been a privilege and an honor to have had him as a friend, classmate and inspiration. He stimulated and shared deep thought, significant social concern and a fabulous sense of humor.
Jerry Roisman ’59