Earl John "Buz" Imhoff, attorney and executive, died suddenly on Monday, February 1, 2022, of natural causes at his home in Cincinnati. He was 71. Earl is survived by his wife of 49 years, Judith, and two daughters and their husbands, Elisabeth (Jared) and Julia (Matt), and one grandchild, Aaron. His son, Benjamin, preceded him in death in 2015. Earl, also known as "Buz" by his friends, was humble, compassionate and optimistic. He could be described as a man of many interests, who was beloved by his family and dedicated to the practice of law.
Earl was born August 2, 1950, to Earl and Lois Olsen Imhoff in Chicago, and grew up in Palos Park IL with his sister, Connie. He attended Carl Sandburg High School and received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1972, where he played on the baseball team and was active in student government. He served five years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare officer on the carrier USS Ranger, with deployments to S.E. Asia and the Gulf of Tonkin, and later as a Lieutenant in intelligence in London, England. He earned a Masters in International Relations from the University of Southern California in 1977, and then began law school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, earning his degree in 1979.
After law school, Earl struck out for California with the goal of becoming a maritime lawyer in San Francisco. He developed a wide-ranging law practice in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with emphasis on maritime law, international law, and civil and insurance litigation that took him all over the world. He was a member of the California State Bar, the Wisconsin State Bar, the Maritime Bar, and was admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court. After 25 years of law practice, Earl accepted a position as Senior Vice-President at American Financial Group, Great American Insurance, in Cincinnati, and after retirement, continued his interest in the law by serving as a magistrate, expert witness, and trial consultant to a variety of law firms and corporations.
Buz was a member of the University Club, Cincinnati; the Jonathan Club, Los Angeles; RLY Onset, Pasadena CA; and the Notre Dame Sorin Society. He was active in his children's schools and the community, was a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, a dedicated bird watcher, kite flyer, and a passionate reader of novels and biographies. He was a season ticket subscriber to the Cincinnati Symphony, Opera, and Shakespeare Theatre and was often lovingly recognized by family and friends as a 'pop culture barometer'. Earl loved to travel and was excited to be planning an extended travel adventure to celebrate his and Judy's 50th Anniversary.
The family is planning a memorial event for Spring. Burial services will be private at Calvary Cemetery, Dayton OH. If you wish, a memorial contribution can be made to Freestore Food Bank in Cincinnati, where Buz volunteered and donated over the years. Please direct any condolences to TP White Funeral Home in Cincinnati, Ohio.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Earl John "Buz" Imhoff, please visit our flower store.
Earl was born August 2, 1950, to Earl and Lois Olsen Imhoff in Chicago, and grew up in Palos Park IL with his sister, Connie. He attended Carl Sandburg High School and received a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1972, where he played on the baseball team and was active in student government. He served five years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare officer on the carrier USS Ranger, with deployments to S.E. Asia and the Gulf of Tonkin, and later as a Lieutenant in intelligence in London, England. He earned a Masters in International Relations from the University of Southern California in 1977, and then began law school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, earning his degree in 1979.
After law school, Earl struck out for California with the goal of becoming a maritime lawyer in San Francisco. He developed a wide-ranging law practice in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with emphasis on maritime law, international law, and civil and insurance litigation that took him all over the world. He was a member of the California State Bar, the Wisconsin State Bar, the Maritime Bar, and was admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court. After 25 years of law practice, Earl accepted a position as Senior Vice-President at American Financial Group, Great American Insurance, in Cincinnati, and after retirement, continued his interest in the law by serving as a magistrate, expert witness, and trial consultant to a variety of law firms and corporations.
Buz was a member of the University Club, Cincinnati; the Jonathan Club, Los Angeles; RLY Onset, Pasadena CA; and the Notre Dame Sorin Society. He was active in his children's schools and the community, was a fan of the Cincinnati Reds, a dedicated bird watcher, kite flyer, and a passionate reader of novels and biographies. He was a season ticket subscriber to the Cincinnati Symphony, Opera, and Shakespeare Theatre and was often lovingly recognized by family and friends as a 'pop culture barometer'. Earl loved to travel and was excited to be planning an extended travel adventure to celebrate his and Judy's 50th Anniversary.
The family is planning a memorial event for Spring. Burial services will be private at Calvary Cemetery, Dayton OH. If you wish, a memorial contribution can be made to Freestore Food Bank in Cincinnati, where Buz volunteered and donated over the years. Please direct any condolences to TP White Funeral Home in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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