Christopher P. Kauders

MARBLEHEAD - Christopher P. Kauders of Marblehead, MA died on July 31 of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 65. Born in Salem, Chris was the youngest son of Czech immigrants who escaped the Nazi invasion of Prague. His father, Erick Kauders, was co-inventor of the projectile portion of the rocket launcher known as the bazooka. Chris attended Brooks School in North Andover, Northwestern University, and earned his law and business degrees from Boston College. He and Lee Stephens of Sudbury were married in 1985. This June, they celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary.

A pioneer of alternative dispute resolution, Chris was admired throughout New England for his work as a mediator and arbitrator. After practicing law at Bank of Boston, he founded Pre-Trial Solutions, where he spent 25 years guiding parties through contentious disputes to settlement with his characteristic patience and cool-headedness. Chris brought his legal expertise to his work on the boards of the Chestnut Hill School, The University Club of Boston, Freedom Scientific, and as president and member of the Frank J. Murray Inn of Court. He took pride in mentoring dozens of students through law school and career choices.

Chris and his older sister lived with the genetic eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa, which rendered them legally blind from birth. A lifelong advocate for the blindness community, Chris confronted adversity with humor, grace, and a deep passion for service. He sat on the boards of the Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ (the nation’s first guide dog school), The Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, the Mass. Commission for the Blind, and Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary. At the appointment of Governor Deval Patrick, he served on the advisory board to the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination.

In 2016, Kauders filed suit against Uber Technologies after three drivers denied him service because he used a Seeing Eye dog. In 2021, Kauders v. Uber received a landmark ruling in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court about the formation of online contracts.

Thanks to his five cherished Seeing Eye dogs (Sonya, Beecher, Rudy, Theo, and Wally), Chris navigated urban life with ease. He greeted friends on public transport as he zipped between his office in Post Office Square and the University Club pool, where he swam nightly laps as his dogs walked dutifully up and down the lane. Each time Chris and Lee enjoyed a concert at Symphony Hall, a German shepherd listened peacefully at their feet. “They are my eyes,” Chris said of his canine companions. He imagined heaven as a place where he would reunite with all his dogs over a cold beer.

Chris found joy and purpose in nurturing close friendships over the course of his life. His childhood friends will remember him as the able sailor who took the helm of the family boat, The Bohemian. He was also an intrepid horseman who loved galloping through the desert on yearly visits to the Flying E Ranch in Arizona. Nothing brought Chris more joy than being a father to his only daughter, Hannah. After quarantine reunited the family, Chris and Hannah spent his final year reading novels and poetry aloud over coffee, walking their dogs on the beach, and even attending a Red Sox game in celebration of their last Father’s Day.

Chris was predeceased by his sister Dina Kauders Leonard and brother-in-law Henry Leonard of Hudson, OH. He is survived by his wife Lee of Marblehead, MA, his daughter Hannah of Brooklyn, NY, his brother Andrew and sister-in-law Faith of Richmond, VA, as well as beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is also survived by his Seeing Eye dog, Wally.

Vaccinated individuals are invited to attend a memorial on August 27th at 10:00 a.m. at Old North Church, 35 Washington Street, Marblehead. A reception will follow at Eastern Yacht Club, 47 Foster Street, Marblehead. Donations may be made to the Seeing Eye via www.seeingeye.org and the Lymphoma Research Foundation via www.lymphoma.org. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.eustisandcornellfuneralhome.com for the Kauders family.