In Memoriam

Steve Kahn

Obituary, Stephen David Kahn

The New York Times

January 8, 2017

Modest, witty, bright, and always interested in others, Steve died on December 30 at the age of 73 of complications of frontal lobe dementia.

Raised in Scarsdale, NY Steve left to become a Yale man. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale College in 1964, earned an LLB from Yale Law School in 1968, and watched his daughter graduate 31 years later.

Building on his interest in environmental preservation, Steve and his wife, Betty Fluegelman Kahn, funded a scholarship for international students at the Yale School of Forestry.

Steve adored and excelled in his legal career. He was a critical player in establishing the intellectual property practice as a partner at Weil Gotshal & Manges, LLP. He taught and lectured at Yale, Stamford, Brooklyn and New York law schools, among others.

After retirement, Steve dedicated himself to pro bono work including refugee resettlement with The List Project and IRAP, child welfare with Save the Children, and global change initiatives with Idealist.org where he served on the Board of Directors.

Steve had a rich life beyond his work. He and Betty loved living in Park Slope, Brooklyn where they raised their daughters, Melissa Kahn White and Amy Kahn Mann. He prioritized family and was actively involved in his daughters' lives, supporting them unconditionally and embracing their husbands and four grandchildren.

He and Betty took time to travel to places off the beaten path, often with their unique book club, the PSSORS. Steve loved photography and architecture, flew gliders, spoke Russian, and ran miles around Prospect Park while training for the NYC Marathon.

Steve listened deeply to what people said, and they felt it. More than his professional accomplishments, he will be remembered for his gentle and kind nature. He will be greatly missed by his entire family and everyone whose life he touched.

A celebration of Steve's life will be held in the Spring. Donations in Steve's memory can be made to the Kahn scholarship at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and or the Neurofibromatosis Clinic at Boston Children's Hospital.