Frederick W. Invernizzi, 95, law professor, district judge

Frederick W. Invernizzi, a retired Baltimore District Court judge and longtime professor at the University of Maryland Law School, died of congestive heart failure and pneumonia Monday at University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. He was 95.

Judge Invernizzi was born in Somerville, Mass., and moved to Baltimore with his family in 1917. He was a 1928 graduate of City College and worked his way through the University of Maryland, College Park with jobs in the campus library, as a fraternity house cook and as a golf caddy.

He was an All-America lacrosse player and earned his bachelor's degree in 1932.

"He was a proud Terrapin, especially of being the goalie for the University of Maryland lacrosse team. He loved to recall their famous 1932 pre-Olympic Games playoff against Hopkins that was played before 30,000 people in the old Baltimore Stadium on 33rd Street," said a daughter, Marcia A. Invernizzi, a professor of reading education and director of the McGuffey Reading Center at the University of Virginia.

After graduating from the University of Maryland Law School in 1935, he briefly practiced law before joining the faculty at the law school in 1937.

During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and was a communications officer for Air Group Six aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock in the Pacific. He attained the rank of lieutenant commander and, after returning to Baltimore, was commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Reserve law unit.

He resumed teaching at the law school, retiring in 1969. An article in The Sun, reporting on his retirement, noted his pride that among his former students were two judges on the Court of Appeals, two on the Court of Special Appeals and 23 on circuit benches in the Baltimore area.

"In other words, 27 of the total of 86 Maryland judges on the circuit or appeals levels were Mr. Invernizzi's students," the article said.

"Even when he became a judge, he never stopped being a student of the law. In class, he didn't waste time telling jokes; he spent his time explaining the law, of which he was extremely knowledgeable," said Wilbur D. "Woody" Preston, a partner in the Baltimore law firm Whiteford, Taylor and Preston and a University of Maryland Law School graduate.

In 1955, Judge Invernizzi was appointed director of the Administrative Office of the Courts of Maryland, a position he held until he was named to the District Court in 1973 by Gov. Marvin Mandel.

"He was a fine gentleman and came from an excellent legal background. He served the state of Maryland extremely well, and the state received all he could possibly give. I have nothing but praise for him," Mr. Mandel said yesterday. "When he joined the District Court it was new and all the judges had to contribute to make it the shining example it became, not only in Maryland but in the country. And he was one of those judges."

"He was a judge's judge and a great judge to practice before," said Judge Keith E. Matthews, chief of the city's District Court. "He was never overbearing or made you feel stupid, and even if his decisions went against you, you felt that justice had been served and you were heard fairly."

Judge Invernizzi retired from the court in 1977 but continued hearing cases as an associate judge until 1990.

He had been secretary of the Maryland Board of Law Examiners and permanent secretary and reporter for the rules committee of the Maryland Judicial Conference. He had been national chairman of the Conference of Court Administrative Officers and held many positions in the American Bar Association.

He was an avid collector of license plates, the oldest dating to 1928, family members said, and collected coins. He liked attending the opera and traveling to Italy.

A resident of Havenwood Road in Original Northwood for more than 40 years, he was a former member, deacon and elder at Roland Park Presbyterian Church and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, where he moved in 1995 to the Colonnades retirement community.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the retirement community.

Also surviving are his wife of 68 years, the former Virginia Taylor; another daughter, Ellen B. Andersen of Charlottesville; and four grandchildren.

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