Cyril Moscow passed away at the age of 91 on April 8. Born to Jewish immigrants from present-day Ukraine in the Dexter neighborhood of Detroit in 1933, Moscow went on to become a lawyer and the central pillar of a large family, known for his towering intellect, sharp wit, and devotion to his loved ones.
As a child, Moscow weathered the Great Depression with his family in a home shared with cousins, worked his first job as a drug store soda jerk, and spent time playing poker with friends and following the Detroit Tigers. He commuted from home to Wayne State University, where he studied history, before going on to graduate from the University of Michigan Law School. He met Rona (née Weingarten) at a party and they wed in 1957. The couple raised their three children in Detroit and later outside the city in Birmingham.
Moscow began his legal career in 1957 as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division. After three years, he moved onto private practice, where he spent 65 years as a corporate lawyer at Honigman in Detroit, advising clients in corporate matters and security transactions. He also taught as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School for 43 years.
Moscow was frequently listed in Michigan Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America and was elected to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame in 2023. Moscow co-authored “Michigan Corporation Law and Practice,” a comprehensive research tool on state corporate law, and continued to update it throughout his career.
Moscow served as a member and former chairperson of the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section and a member of its Business Corporation Act Revision Subcommittee, which he chaired since 1984.
Moscow was a founding member of the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University Law School’s Advisory Board and a trusted and wise advisor to the Center over the past decade. As a partner at Honigman, Moscow welcomed Senator Levin to the firm as a partner after Levin retired from the Senate.
“We will miss Cy’s kindness, wisdom, and wit and take inspiration from his commitment to our mission at the Levin Center and to the rule of law,” said Levin Center director Jim Townsend. “When I practiced law at a different firm, I knew about Cy Moscow’s reputation as a leader among business lawyers. I felt doubly blessed when I joined the Levin Center to have the benefit of Cy’s incisive thinking and generous spirit.”
Moscow was an avid traveler who loved exploring nature and city life around the world, from China to Mexico, often accompanied by Rona until her death in 2001, his children and grandchildren, or his partner Randie.
Moscow is survived by his children, Dan (Sharon Strauss) Moscow, Ruth Moscow-Cohen (Robert Cohen), and Karen (Andrew) Auerbach; his grandchildren, Anna Cohen (Michael Keefer), Mari Cohen, Lena Auerbach, Sarah Cohen, Rachel Auerbach, Juniper Moscow, Oliver Moscow, and Joseph Auerbach; his great-grandchildren, Esme and Adam Keefer; his sister, Sandra (the late Alan) Eidelman; sister-in-law Shirley Moscow; and his partner of 22 years, Randie Levin. He is preceded in death by parents Rose and Sam Moscow, wife Rona Moscow, and older brother David (Shirley) Moscow.
A funeral service was conducted April 10 by The Ira Kaufman Chapel.
As a child, Moscow weathered the Great Depression with his family in a home shared with cousins, worked his first job as a drug store soda jerk, and spent time playing poker with friends and following the Detroit Tigers. He commuted from home to Wayne State University, where he studied history, before going on to graduate from the University of Michigan Law School. He met Rona (née Weingarten) at a party and they wed in 1957. The couple raised their three children in Detroit and later outside the city in Birmingham.
Moscow began his legal career in 1957 as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division. After three years, he moved onto private practice, where he spent 65 years as a corporate lawyer at Honigman in Detroit, advising clients in corporate matters and security transactions. He also taught as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School for 43 years.
Moscow was frequently listed in Michigan Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America and was elected to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame in 2023. Moscow co-authored “Michigan Corporation Law and Practice,” a comprehensive research tool on state corporate law, and continued to update it throughout his career.
Moscow served as a member and former chairperson of the State Bar of Michigan’s Business Law Section and a member of its Business Corporation Act Revision Subcommittee, which he chaired since 1984.
Moscow was a founding member of the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at Wayne State University Law School’s Advisory Board and a trusted and wise advisor to the Center over the past decade. As a partner at Honigman, Moscow welcomed Senator Levin to the firm as a partner after Levin retired from the Senate.
“We will miss Cy’s kindness, wisdom, and wit and take inspiration from his commitment to our mission at the Levin Center and to the rule of law,” said Levin Center director Jim Townsend. “When I practiced law at a different firm, I knew about Cy Moscow’s reputation as a leader among business lawyers. I felt doubly blessed when I joined the Levin Center to have the benefit of Cy’s incisive thinking and generous spirit.”
Moscow was an avid traveler who loved exploring nature and city life around the world, from China to Mexico, often accompanied by Rona until her death in 2001, his children and grandchildren, or his partner Randie.
Moscow is survived by his children, Dan (Sharon Strauss) Moscow, Ruth Moscow-Cohen (Robert Cohen), and Karen (Andrew) Auerbach; his grandchildren, Anna Cohen (Michael Keefer), Mari Cohen, Lena Auerbach, Sarah Cohen, Rachel Auerbach, Juniper Moscow, Oliver Moscow, and Joseph Auerbach; his great-grandchildren, Esme and Adam Keefer; his sister, Sandra (the late Alan) Eidelman; sister-in-law Shirley Moscow; and his partner of 22 years, Randie Levin. He is preceded in death by parents Rose and Sam Moscow, wife Rona Moscow, and older brother David (Shirley) Moscow.
A funeral service was conducted April 10 by The Ira Kaufman Chapel.
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