NavHist - NHF Mourns the Loss of the Honorable Steven S. Honigman

Late last week we were saddened to learn of the passing of the Honorable Steve Honigman on July 26, 2022 in his sleep at Mt. Sinai in New York of stomach cancer. He was 74 years old. Mr. Honigman joined the NHF Board of Directors in 2012 and was a very active supporter of the organization’s mission. Upon hearing the news, NHF Chairman Adm. William J. Fallon reflected: “Steve was a strong advocate for the value of sea power who donated many hours of pro bono time on our behalf. His smiling countenance and sage advice will be missed.”
Born on May 14, 1948, Mr. Honigman grew up in Brooklyn and eventually earned a BA at New York University and a JD from Yale. From 1973-1977 he served as a Navy Judge Advocate and
then returned to civilian life to become an associate at the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,
Wharton & Garrison specializing in civil litigation. From 1982 to 1993, he was a partner at the
law firm of Miller, Singer, Raives & Brandes.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Mr. Honigman as General Counsel of the Navy, a
position he would retain for five years. During his tenure his tackled several issues of historical
note such as evaluating a request to posthumously restore Adm. Husband Kimmel to the rank of
Admiral (4 stars) that he held when he had command of the Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941.
Last December, Mr. Honigman discussed his views on accountability for that fateful day in a
NHF Second Saturday webinar titled: “Pearl Harbor and the Kimmel Controversary” See:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z53jMbF6Ue8.

For his service to the Navy, Mr. Honigman was awarded the Navy Distinguished Public Service
Medal. In 1998, Honigman joined Thelen Reid as a partner. His primary areas of legal practice
included government affairs and public policy, international business, and financial institution
engagements. Besides supporting the NHF, he also served as Chairman of the Board of W2E
International Corp., served on the board of the EastWest Institute, and was a Director of DRS
Technologies, Inc. and The Wornick Company.
A lover of life, art, history, and food, Mr. Honigman took great pride in his work. He is survived
by his loving wife Dr. Irene Finel-Honigman and their daughter Dr. Ana Finel Honigman.

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