Obituary: Faegre and Benson's George McClintock exhibited leadership

The 1982 Thanksgiving Day fire that destroyed the Northwestern Bank Building in downtown Minneapolis threatened to shut down the operations of Faegre and Benson housed in the building. But George McClintock made sure the law firm never missed a beat.

By the time the firm's 120 lawyers and employees returned from their holiday break, McClintock, the managing partner, had secured office space at the nearby IDS Center and made sure there was a computer, desk, chair and telephone for each.

"We were fortunate to have such a tireless leader during that most challenging time in the firm's history," said friend Tom Morgan, who worked with McClintock in the Boy Scouts and as an attorney at the firm that is now known as Faegre Barker Daniels. "His contributions, and our memories of him, are woven into the fabric of the firm. George is also remembered for his leadership in the community."

He showed the same kind of leadership in a series of community posts, serving as president of the Viking Council of the Boy Scouts, on the board of trustees at the Convent of the Visitation School and as mayor of Woodland, a small city on Lake Minnetonka in western Hennepin County.

McClintock died of natural causes Nov. 27 at the Jones-Harrison Residence in Minneapolis where he had been living. He was 92.

As a Boy Scout, McClintock earned the rank of Eagle Scout and helped build Camp Ajawah. After graduating from Minneapolis Washburn High School in the 1930s, he was a second lieutenant in the Navy during World War II. He started at Faegre and Benson after earning a law degree at Harvard and worked at the firm for 40 years.

His was a loyal scout in adulthood, serving as a longtime volunteer and president of the Viking Council of the Boy Scouts in 1967 and 1968. He earned the Silver Beaver Award, the highest honor bestowed by the council, which in 2005 merged with the Indianhead Council and changed its name to the Northern Star Council.

McClintock served on the Woodland City Council from 1965 to 1969 and was mayor from 1970 to 1979. He was a founding member of the Board of Trustees when sisters at Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights turned administrative duties over to a lay board in 1975.

"He helped lay the foundation for the robust governance we continue to enjoy today," said Dawn Nichols, head of school. "We are blessed and honored to have had George McClintock as a member of our community."

McClintock's civic involvement also included membership on North Memorial Medical Center's board of directors, the Minneapolis United Way and as president of the Minneapolis Club. He was recognized twice with the WCCO Radio Good Neighbor Award, said his daughter, Jessie McClintock Kelly, of New York City.

"He was somebody who worked hard, took care of his family, contributed to the community and did what needed to be done," she said. He always said 'you do things for your community. That is what you are supposed to do.'"

Despite his busy schedule, McClintock rarely missed family dinner and relished opportunities to go duck hunting and boating on Lake Minnetonka. He liked entertaining guests and going dancing with his wife, Aileen, who preceded him in death. In later years, he traveled to such places as Mongolia and rode on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, his daughter said.

In addition to his daughter Jessie, McClintock is survived by three other daughters, Catharine and Jane McClintock Wyatt, both of Edina, and Anne, of Medford, Mass., two sons, Michael, of Larchmont, N.Y., and George III, of Purchase, N.Y., 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Services have been held.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768 Twitter: @timstrib