This is a short diary to let everyone know that trailblazing attorney, advocate for the workers, and one of the greatest fighters of corporate corruption this country has ever known has passed at the age of 61.
Mr. Baron (everyone I know just calls him Fred) was suffering from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. His family was engaged in a bitter fight with a drug manufacturer for the release of medication believed to help him survive.
LINK for the drug dispute issue.
The Dallas Morning News has the story of Fred's death here.
Fred was a tireless supporter of the Democratic Party. A true believer in every sense of the word. It cannot be overstated what Fred Baron has meant for the Democratic Party, and for tens of thousands of victims of asbestos-related disease around this country.
The saddest part of this is that Fred spent his entire professional career fighting for those who suffered from a cancer that should have been prevented. Ultimately, while not asbestos-related, cancer took Fred.
I only know of Fred Baron. I work with people who knew him well, and I know from the dozens of folks I've talked to that he was a man of integrity, character, and a true belief in the American worker. I don't mean to eulogize him. I imagine several on this forum know Fred very well. So, please share your memories of this American hero.