Obituary
George H. Gerstman, 86, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2026, in New York. Beloved husband and best friend of Dorann (née Boyar) for 17 wonderful years, and the late Rozanne (née Millman); loving father of Heidi (Dr. George) Frey, Gary (Linda) Gerstman, Dr. Adam (Dr. Marcie Rubin) Schaffner, and Jodi (Bryan) Sugar; adored "Grandpa George" of Alex (Hannah), Max (Emi), and Julia Frey, Sophie and Leo Gerstman, Brett, Miles, and Sybil Schaffner, and Sari, Jamie, and the late Seth Sugar; cherished great-grandfather of Eli Frey; much-loved brother of Richard (Joanne) and Nancy Gerstman; dear brother in-law of Janet (the late Melville) Moses and the late Arthur Boyar; treasured uncle and friend of many. George earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor degree with honors from The George Washington University Law Center, where he served as Assistant Patent Editor of The George Washington Law Review. He practiced law before various district courts throughout the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, other Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. George worked for over 50 years in patent law and was a former United States Patent Examiner, where he examined hundreds of patent applications. He served as lead counsel in the litigation of numerous patents and argued-and won-many cases before the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and other U.S. appellate courts. He also counseled clients regarding infringement and validity, negotiated patent licenses, and delivered numerous lectures on patent law. George was passionate about his work, but his greatest love was his family. He will be dearly missed. Memorial donations in his memory may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (www.michaeljfox.org) or American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org) or Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes, (www.breakthrought1d.org). Private graveside service for the immediate family members only: Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Shalom Memorial Park, 1700 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, Illinois. To leave condolences, please visit www.shalommemorial.org or call (847) 255-3520.