Steve Ives, Jr.

Stephen B. Ives Jr. passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on February 23, 2020 in Washington DC. Steve was born in 1924 in New York City to Stephen B. Ives and Ellen Gardiner Atwood.  He was educated at the Groton School, Harvard College and Yale Law School.  He enlisted in the Army in World War II as a young man and served in Army Intelligence with the Order of Battle Section, G-2, Sixth Army, in the Philippines and Japan.  He was commissioned in the field as 2nd lieutenant and was awarded the Bronze Star for his direct contribution to the success of the Luzon campaign.

Steve began law practice in Providence RI in the early ’50’s at the firm of Hinckley, Allen, Salisbury and Parsons.  He became involved in Democratic Party politics in Rhode Island.  He ran the Rhode Island campaign for Adlai Stevenson and then Claiborne Pell’s successful Senate campaign.  In 1961, he moved the family to Washington.  There he served in the State Department US AID program as part of Jack Kennedy’s  “New Frontier”.  Under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, he worked first on the Korea desk, Far East desk and then as General Counsel for the agency.

After his government service, he practiced international trade law in Washington with the firm of Wald Harkrader and Ross.   He was devoted to the legal profession and to upholding its integrity. 

Steve was a devoted family man, an avid tennis player, cribbage player and animal lover.  He loved to read aloud - both poetry and prose.  He also loved the coast of Maine and vacationed there on North Haven and Vinalhaven for many summers.  There he could boat, split wood, prune evergreens and birdwatch.

He is survived by his loving wife Jean Emery, his children Cathy Ives Cornell (Robert Cornell), Brad Ives (April Fountain) and Checker Ives (Sadri Ahmadi).  He is also survived by 3 stepchildren Katrinka Choate Johnson, Chris Choate (Cathy Choate) and Val Choate; He is pre-deceased by 2 sons, Joshua Ives and David Ives.  He is also survived by 5 grandchildren and his brother J. Atwood Ives and many nephews and nieces. 

Donations in memory of Steve can be sent to organizations important to him:  Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, End Citizens United or Vinalhaven Land Trust, with a notice to Cathy Cornell at 10 St. John St. Jamaica Plain MA 02130.

A virtual celebration of life will be held for Steve on May 16, 2021 at 4 PM EDT.