Michael S. Waters

Michael Stephen Waters passed away on November 15, 2024 in New York City.  He was born on November 28, 1940 in New York but soon moved to Avenel, New Jersey with his family. Mike graduated from Woodbridge High School, Columbia College (’62) and Columbia Law School (’65).  He married his high school sweetheart Susan Kimmel and they moved to Scotch Plains, NJ and had three daughters. Upon graduation from law school, Mike joined the Newark law firm of Carpenter, Bennett and Morrissey (which later merged to become McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney and Carpenter).  He rose through the ranks of Carpenter, Bennett to become a partner, senior partner, and member of senior management.  In his long career he represented many Fortune 500 companies in complex and varied commercial suits.  He was known as a talented litigator and was a mentor to many in the firm, cherished for his sage advice and quick brain.
Susan died in 1974, leaving Mike to raise their three young daughters, but he was a survivor and modeled resilience for all who knew him.  He married again in 1980, somehow managing to find a woman with three daughters of her own. Sara (nee Hirsch) moved into Mike’s house in Scotch Plains after a modest expansion, and they settled into a busy life with their household of six girls.  Mike and Sara enjoyed 44 happy years of married life punctuated by lots of foreign travel, a shared passion. In 2011, they moved to New York, the better to be close to the theatre, music, art and cultural activities they both loved.
In 1999, Mike and Sara bought a summer house in Chatham, MA, where Mike then became involved with the Summer Residents Advisory Committee.  He worked devotedly on various issues impacting the town and eventually served as the committee’s chairman for four years.
Mike will be remembered by his family, friends and colleagues for his humility, his intelligence, his sharp sense of humor and his warm personality. He is survived by his wife Sara, his daughters Jennifer Schaffer, Andrea Jordan and Sharon Waters and their families, his stepdaughters Stephanie, Margo and Jessica Nathanson and their families, and six grandchildren.