James Louis Adler Jr. died on Sept. 10 in Danbury, Conn, after his family had gathered around him. He was 93.

Jim’s ties to Martha’s Vineyard dated to 1957, when his parents purchased a home in Edgartown. The Island was his summer refuge. He loved its beaches, sailing, clamming and his time there with family. His greatest pleasure was seeing his children and grandchildren develop their own love for both the Vineyard and the family's home. 

A member of the Edgartown Yacht Club for more than 50 years, he was never more content than when surrounded by its nautical traditions and taking in the vista of the Edgartown harbor. 

He was born on June 25, 1928 in Pittsburgh, the son of Louise Cohn Adler and James L. Adler Sr. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Carleton College in 1949, and from Yale Law School in 1952. His modesty belied a keen intellect and encyclopedic subject knowledge.

For 68 years, he practiced law with distinction and the highest integrity, relied upon for his counsel even in his final days. He spent the first 29 years in New York city, where he rose to become partner in the law firm of Greenbaum, Wolff & Ernst.

After relocating to Phoenix, Ariz. in 1982, he became a partner in the Phoenix office of the law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. A recognized expert in corporate law, he stewarded over 30 securities offerings and advised domestic and international clients on countless transactions of all kinds.

His civic contributions and contributions to his profession were vast. As a young lawyer, he was first fellow of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, a founding member and president of the Lenox Hill Democratic Club of New York and a candidate for City Council.

Later, he served as chairman of the International Law Section of the Arizona Bar Association. Through multiple affiliations and elections, most notably as chairman of the Phoenix World Trade Center, he sought to promote Phoenix as a center of commerce. By gubernatorial appointment, he served on the Investment Advisory Council of the Arizona State Retirement Fund, and as chairman of the Investment Committee of the Arizona State Compensation Fund.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Lynn Adler; his three children from his first marriage, Stephanie Adler and her husband William Harrison, Tim Adler and his wife Jane Becker, and Natalie Adler and her husband Christopher Walker; his first wife and their mother, Audrey Wolf; his brother Gerald L. Adler; his niece Susanna Adler; and his six grandchildren, Isabelle and Katrina Adler, Lucy Walker, and William, Hannah, and Natalie Harrison.