John Edwin Depke, an astute lawyer, world traveler, and avid outdoorsman, died Thursday, April 21, 2011 in Princeton, NJ. He was 44 years old, and for more than ten months had battled fiercely against the cancer that claimed him.

With his wife, Deirdre, Mr. Depke lived in New York City, where he was one of the youngest attorneys ever to make partner at the international law firm of DLA Piper. The couple also maintained a home in East Hampton, New York.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Depke was the son of the late John Depke, a well-known investigative reporter with The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Nancy Depke, a reporter, columnist and, later, consultant and travel writer.

After graduating with a business degree from Miami University of Ohio, Mr. Depke worked as an investigator at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, where he was inspired to earn a law degree from Chicago's DePaul University. Mr. Depke began his legal career at Fulbright & Jaworski and then moved on to DLA Piper. He had a sharp legal mind that was sought after by venture capitalists and corporate clients, particularly those pursuing mergers and acquisitions. Opponents could easily underestimate Mr. Depke because of his boyish good-looks, easy charm, and complete lack of pretense. For many that was a mistake, after they found themselves undone by his powerful intellect and dogged work ethic. In the thick of a legal battle, Mr. Depke took no prisoners.

Although he moved seamlessly through the legal and business worlds, he remained something of an anomaly: he was a successful corporate attorney who loved nothing more than hauling brush in his red Chevy pickup truck. He never lost his sense of justice for the poor and the unfortunate. And while no one would ever call Mr. Depke a bleeding-heart liberal—or a bleeding-heart anything—he was a lifelong Democrat who loved a rousing political debate, especially with a slower-witted Republican on the other side.

Even as he weakened, Mr. Depke maintained the dry but infectious sense of humor that delighted his family and friends. He was not a back-slapper or country club type; his love of sports and the outdoors exhibited itself in more solitary pursuits like running, swimming, and bodysurfing. He especially liked the challenging surf off the beaches of Napeague in Amagansett, Long Island.
While not a joiner or a social climber, Mr. Depke liked nothing better than a few beers with his wife, his buddies, or sisters at an Irish pub while watching the Yankees. And if you were fortunate enough to be his relative or friend, you had a ferocious ally against the vicissitudes of life. From his sick bed, he worried about the solidity of an aging friend's health-care coverage.

Mr. Depke traveled widely through Europe, Asia, and Latin America, generally with a pack strapped to his back, eschewing pricey hotels for modest accommodations that put him in touch with everyday people. (Although he was never shy about purchasing first-class air tickets.) He loved the history and literature that fed his curious mind—but also liked to while away an evening watching a "Rambo" movie marathon. He also had the junk-food palate of a teenage boy, and his family found endless amusement in his continuous yen for bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches and Oreo cookies.

The hole he has left in the hearts of his family and friends will not be repaired easily. But if nothing else, Mr. Depke was an optimist and a fighter, and these qualities live on in those he has left behind.

In addition to his wife, John Depke is survived by his mother, Nancy, of Princeton; three sisters—Deidre Depke of New York City, Marianne McComb of Princeton, and Meighan Depke of Chicago—as well as his brothers-in-law Ciro Scotti, William McComb, and Dave Bier; his nephews John, Kyle, and Will; and two nieces, Agnes and Frances.

A memorial mass will be celebrated at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on April 26, 2011 at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to The Melanoma Research Foundation.