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Beloved Akron trust and estate attorney remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: August 14, 2019
Known for his kind and adventurous nature, Akron attorney Timothy John Enright dedicated much of his life to the legal profession, crafting efficient solutions primarily for trust and estate clients.
When he wasn’t working or volunteering in the community, Enright could often be found at a classic car show or at other events featuring memorabilia he might want to acquire.
But those closest to him say his true passion was spending time with family and friends.
“My husband was a collector of old cars and blimp memorabilia, but he was mostly a collector of people,” said his wife Jan Enright. “He loved people, especially his family and his family loved him. He was a very good man.”
On June 13 Enright passed away at the age of 73.
“My husband enjoyed a successful career and he took very good care of me and our two wonderful children,” said Jan. “He was well-loved.”
Born in Akron on Nov. 9, 1945, he was the third of Frank and Ethel Enright’s six children.
Enright graduated from St. Vincent High School in 1963, where he received the Manhood Award. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in marketing from The University of Akron.
Enright met his wife Jan in the summer of 1965. They married in 1969 and have two children.
“We had quite an adventure, we really did,” said Jan, a retired Akron Public Schools principal.
While working toward his law degree at The University of Akron (UA), Enright taught at Glenwood High School in Canton and served as assistant to the dean of the general college at UA.
He received his juris doctorate in 1972 and spent the first year of his legal career as a staff attorney for the Ohio Department of Education in Columbus.
He later moved back to Akron, accepting a position at the law firm of Schwab, Sager, Grosenbaugh, Rothal, Fort, Skidmore, & Nukes Co., where he reconnected with attorney Joel (Jack) Aberth.
The two had first met while they were working nights in the research department of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
“We were in the same building and we would often run into one another at dinner,” said Aberth, now of counsel at Stark & Knoll. “We were both pursuing our future wives at the time so we had a lot in common.”
After a few years in private practice, they formed their own firm, Aberth & Enright, where they focused on trust and estate matters.
“We worked together for about 10 years,” said Aberth. “Tim was a very good lawyer. We both enjoyed bringing difficult matters to a satisfactory conclusion as promptly as possible.
“We were also friends outside the office,” he said. “For many years, Tim and his wife Jan were neighbors of ours in the Highland Square area. Recently we became closer neighbors living within a few homes of one another in a condominium area.
“Tim was a great law partner, a good friend and neighbor and a very kind and generous person.”
In the late 1980s, Aberth & Enright disbanded and Enright accepted a position as a trust officer at FirstMerit Bank (now Huntington National Bank). When he retired in 2006, he was a vice president and trust officer.
Gregory R. Bean, then senior vice president and executive trust officer at the bank, hired Enright.
“Tim was a very friendly person, who cared a great deal about his trust clients and served them quite well for many years,” said Bean, now of counsel at Stark & Knoll. “He had a very hardy laugh and he laughed often.
“He was always willing to lend a hand, whether it was legal advice or other assistance.”
A member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, Enright volunteered at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, the Bridgestone golf tournament and Habitat for Humanity.
“Tim loved old cars,” said Jan. “He picked me up in a 57 Corvette on our first date.
“We spent many years volunteering for the Classic Car Show on Father’s Day at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.
“Tim also loved fishing, hunting, antiques and collecting memorabilia, house sales, Hartville, home remodeling, gardening, family gatherings and playing poker,” she said. “He was always so happy to spend time with his children and grandchildren. He was an avid sports fan and he followed their accomplishments in volleyball, football, baseball, basketball and soccer.”
When Enright retired, he and Jan traveled extensively, visiting Ireland, England, Europe, Baltic Sea countries, Russia, the Scandinavian countries, Greece, Turkey, Israel, China, Cuba, the Panama Canal and Caribbean Islands, Canada and many of the National Parks and states, including Alaska.
“We took our first cruise on the Princess Cruise line in 2003, which is when we began attending the ship’s art auctions and collecting many interesting pieces. We purchased a hand-drawn and colored Disney Cel for each of our grandchildren.
“One of our goals when we retired was to do everything we possibly could while we were physically able to do so,” said Jan. “Tim climbed to the top of the Great Wall of China. I made it about halfway.”
A mass of Christian burial was held on June 20 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Akron.
Enright is survived by his wife Jan; daughter and son-in-law Beth and Scott Nelson; son Greg Enright and grandchildren Jake, Alyssa, Collin and Brady. He is also survived by his brothers Mike (Bonnie) Enright and Jeff (Denise) Enright, sister Maureen (George) Locher and many nieces and nephews, cousins and a very close circle of friends.
His father Frank Enright, mother Ethel Franz Enright, brother Patrick and sister Mary all preceded him in death.