Jeffrey Martin Karp

On May 13, Jeffrey Martin Karp of Rockville, Maryland passed away surrounded by his family. Jeff is survived by his beloved wife, Lynne, his five children Hannah (Jeremy), Esther (Gary), Rebecca (Anik), Naomi, and Michael (Melissa), his ten grandchildren, Jordyn, Emma, Olivia, Zachary, Keira, Asher, Noah, Madeline, Ella and Mila, his uncle Bernard Mehlman, brother Matthew Karp, and his Golden Retriever, Ruby.

Born in Huntington, New York to Myra and Lawrence Karp, Jeff grew up in a family where education, responsibility to the community and close family ties were central. Those values shaped both his professional work and his sense of Jewish identity. It is therefore no surprise that he attended Brandeis University before earning his law degree from the public interest-focused Antioch School of Law. In 1973, he married Lynne (Vinnacombe),beginning a partnership that would last more than five decades and formed the foundation of a large, close-knit family of five children, four sons- and daughters-in-law, and ten grandchildren.

In addition to creating a cherished family, Jeff was the consummate lawyer. He began his 46-year legal career at the Federal Trade Commission where he worked for nearly 10 years before serving as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. From there, he worked in private practice, first as a telecommunications lawyer at Swidler & Berlin and then ending his career as the head of the Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources practice group at Sullivan & Worcester in Washington, D.C. Jeff would always say that lawyers have to adapt to changing times, and in doing so, he became an expert in the climate-related, renewable energy space. Clients and colleagues would describe his knowledge of the environmental business as unparalleled, but his hidden talent was how he trained and mentored dozens of attorneys throughout his career.

Jeff loved sports and was well-versed in players, teams, and statistics of any given sporting event. An avid reader and lover of music, Jeff was a person who was genuinely interested in learning. Jeff’s sage advice and values were passed down to his family, friends and colleagues and will live on in his memory.

* In lieu of flowers or gift cards, please consider making a donation in his memory to support the Palliative Care Program at Sibley Hospital who were so amazing to our Dad and our whole family. Gifts can be made online at sibleyfoundation.org or to the Jewish National Fund-USA for the Special in Uniform (integrates young adults with disabilities into the IDF) http://www.jnf.org. Services entrusted to Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home.