Douglas Greenfield

It is with unparalleled sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Douglas Littman Greenfield. He passed away on December 2nd, 2020 after going into cardiac arrest. He was 61 years old.

Doug was born in Philadelphia on April 24, 1959 to Barbara Littman Greenfield and Albert Monroe Greenfield. The youngest of four children, he grew up on a farm in Chester County, roaming around with his siblings, friends, and a kennel full of dogs. His family often held Democratic fundraisers and social events on the farm, with Doug serving as bartender and full-time charmer. He attended the William Penn Charter School where he met lifelong friends and hustled on the football field and track.

At Stanford University, Doug met the love of his life, Elaine Quintana, in their freshman dorm hallway, affectionately called “Swamp Rats.” They fell in love working together on their dorm production of Casa Blanca sophomore year. After college, Doug earned a Masters from Claremont University and graduated from the Coro Fellows Program before returning to Philadelphia to attend Temple Law School alongside his eldest sister, Debbie. Elaine joined him and earned her MBA from Wharton. They subsequently married in Elaine’s home town of Fresno, California on August 3rd, 1985.

In 1989, Doug moved to Washington, DC where he soon joined Bredhoff & Kaiser to focus his legal talents on helping advance organized labor. Over his thirty-year career at Bredhoff & Kaiser, Doug was revered throughout the American labor movement not only for his expertise in employee benefits law, but also for his creativity and judgment. His deep understanding of formidably technical matters was always coupled with an equally deep appreciation of the consequences and realities faced by his clients and their members. Doug could somehow tend to every tree without ever losing sight of the forest. Doug was also the rare lawyer who was able to listen to all sides, zero in on the important issues, and provide practical options for solving the most complex problems.

His docket was long and his work diverse. In one of his earlier projects at Bredhoff, Doug assisted several municipal unions in his beloved hometown of Philadelphia, when the city suffered an economic crisis and neared bankruptcy in the early 1990s. Later in his career, he pioneered innovative financing vehicles to preserve and enhance retirement benefits for tens of thousands of workers in the automotive, steel, paper, and other industries, many of whom were represented by the United Steelworkers, one of Doug’s longest-standing clients. Throughout, he served as valued counsel to many labor organizations, pension and health funds. And within the firm, countless colleagues turned to him for mentorship and for forthright and expert guidance at every stage in their careers.

Doug and Elaine had three daughters - Gabrielle, Isabel, and Amelia - whom he loved fiercely. He closely followed each girls’ academics and extracurriculars, often editing papers to smithereens and belaboring the importance of practice. His dedication only grew as his daughters began their careers and phone calls and visits were an opportunity for him to ask detailed questions to his heart’s content. Doug wanted to know what you were doing, how it worked, and who you were doing it with, while relating his own experience and opinions. From driving his girls to summer camp in Vermont, college in Rhode Island and California, and medical school in Michigan, to walking them down the aisle, Doug was a joyful, proud, teary mess each time. He was the girls’ fiercest champion, goofiest fanatic, and most trusted advisor.

Doug came from a line of Greenfield men who were larger than life and he managed to forge a unique path and persona. He was curious, outgoing, and always ready to engage - whether that called for deep conversation or a need to break out into song. His voice boomed whether in laughter with family and friends, or bemoaning his beloved Philadelphia Eagles - win or lose. His life was grounded in a deep belief in justice and service. He stressed the importance of doing what is right, taking the high road, and befriending everyone along the way. That being said, friendly competition was encouraged and he pushed his girls to best their own record every time. He made an impression on every life he touched, and his memory will be a blessing to all who were lucky enough to know him. To all who are missing Doug, know that he truly cared for and loved you as much as you loved him.