Longtime Tucson lawyer Altfeld dies

Altfeld, 62, was a partner in the firm Altfeld and Battaile, where he specialized in commercial litigation, bankruptcy and real estate law.

“Cliff was outstanding in all those fields; he was a multi-talented guy,” said his business partner, John Battaile.

Battaile worked with Altfeld since 1985.

He described Altfeld as “a complete lawyer” who was able to speak with clients and, importantly, to juries in plain language about complicated legal issues.

“Cliff was a guy who could explain complex subjects in understandable language,” Battaile said.

Altfeld was born in Elyria, Ohio, on Feb. 2, 1952. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1974 and a law degree from the University of Arizona in 1978.

He was married to Lyn Lewis and had two daughters.

In addition to a prolific legal career, Altfeld worked with local school districts.

He served on the Catalina Foothills School District Governing Board for several years and later served on the Tucson Unified School District’s audit committee.

In fact, Altfeld was an inaugural member of the audit committee and its chairman since 2007.

Mary Alice Wallace, director of staff services at TUSD, said Altfeld brought an invaluable knowledge of legal and budgetary matters to the committee.

“Not everybody who applies for the committee is chosen,” Wallace said.

Not only did Altfeld serve two terms as a volunteer on the committee, Wallace said she can’t recall him ever missing a meeting.

Battaile said Altfeld was similarly committed to the friends he made in life.

“He thrived on social contact,” Battaile said, remembering trips to the Grand Canyon and California they took together with their families.

Even strangers were soon drawn in to Altfeld’s gregarious charm, Battaile said.

“You’d go to a basketball game with him and he’d know everybody around him by the end,” he said.

Altfeld’s sudden death Nov. 9 took many friends by surprise.

He had been diagnosed with liver cancer several years earlier but had kept his illness at bay, Battaile said.

Unfortunately, he became sick again recently, and the illness took its toll.

“He kept moving as long as he could,” Battaile said.

Hundreds of friends and family attended a memorial service for Altfeld last week.