Richard Edward Streeter

Chagrin Falls- With his deep blue eyes, Richard E. Streeter reminded some people of Paul Newman. With his constant smile and upbeat lib eralism, he re minded others of his fellow Minnesotan, Hubert Hum phrey.

Streeter, a le gal and civic leader, died Thursday at his retirement home in Wells, Maine, from complications of cancer. He was 75.

The outgoing, engaging man led several nonprofits helping the disadvantaged, from Legal Aid to the controversial PATH (Plan for Action for Tomorrow's Housing), which tried to spread public housing.

He also recruited many lawyers to Cleveland and his career-long firm, Thompson Hine.

"I would not be here but for him," said partner James Robenalt, a Democratic activist. Streeter, long in charge of recruiting lawyers for Thompson Hine, convinced Robenalt that "liberals can actually live in big corporate firms."

David Hooker, the firm's managing partner, said, "Dick was a big-hearted guy. He was very enthusiastic within the firm and outside, about developing support for people in need."

Streeter led the firm's closely held business group but also represented some nonprofits, including the Cleveland Welfare Federation and two Catholic sisterhoods.

Streeter was born in Wayzata, near Minneapolis. He earned bachelor's and law degrees at Yale University.

He worked at Thompson Hine from 1960 to his retirement in 1999, except for two early years of leave for public service. He gave legal help to the State Department, U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, the Justice Department's Antitrust Division and the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

In Cleveland, he was chairman or president of many nonprofits, including the Federation for Community Planning (now Center for Community Solutions), Lake Erie College, the Center for Families and Children, and the Legal Aid Society, which grew quickly under him with new federal aid.

In 1968, he was named one of 10 outstanding young men by the Junior Chamber of Commerce....