By Rebecca Goodman
Enquirer staff writer

MASON - Judge Robert S. Kraft, who retired in 2003 after more than 30 years on the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court bench,died Monday of a stroke at his home. He would have been 76 next week.

"He was the most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life and probably ever will know," said his daughter, Sandy Cantor of Evendale. "He was humble, honorable, loving, sensitive, fair - I could go on and on.

"I think that he would want people to know how committed he was to his family and his synagogue."

Judge Kraft favored an orderly and decorous courtroom, according to Daniel Feldhaus of Delhi Township, who was chief deputy clerk in the Civil Municipal Court for 20 years.

"When you went into his courtroom, you had to be exact. I saw him send a lawyer out one time because he didn't have a shirt and tie on - he had on a turtleneck." Judge Kraft was a "stickler for details. He was neat and tidy. He ran a good courtroom. Nobody raised a voice in his courtroom."

Judge Kraft grew up in Avondale and graduated from Walnut Hills High School. He received degrees in psychology and accounting, both from the University of Cincinnati. He graduated from the UC College of Law in 1950, was admitted to the Ohio Bar at age 21 and began private practice.

He served with the U.S. Army in the Judge Advocate General's Office at Fort Knox from 1953 to 1955.

Afterward, he continued practicing law until he was appointed Hamilton County Municipal Court judge in 1967. He was a judge of the Court of Common Pleas from 1971 until he retired last year.

Judge Kraft served as attorney for the village of Addyston, as chief trial counsel for the Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati and as chief referee of Hamilton County Juvenile Court.

He was a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, served on its traffic and unauthorized-practice-of-law committees and was chairman of the legal aid committee.

He was a past precinct executive for the Republican Party, a member of the executive committee of the 7th Ward Republican Club - where he served three terms as board member and two terms as vice president - and area chairman for Robert Taft Jr.'s 1966 Senate campaign.

Judge Kraft was on the boards of Girls Town of America, the Public Dental Service Society of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Jewish Community Relations Committee of Cincinnati and the Bonds for Israel Committee of Cincinnati.

He was a past president of District Grand Lodge No. 2 and B'nai B'rith, and national commissioner of the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations.

In addition to his daughter Sandy, survivors include his wife of 52 years, Madeline J. Kraft; two other daughters, Janice Potash of Carmel, Ind., and Marcie Kraft of Simi Valley, Calif.; and four grandchildren. Services were held. Shiva will be observed 7 p.m. today, Thursday and Sunday at the residence of Sandy and Randy Cantor, 3590 Sherbrook Drive in Evendale. Burial was at Resthaven Cemetery.

Memorials: Masonic Learning Center for Children, 317 E. Fifth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 or Adath Israel Synagogue, 3201 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236.

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E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com