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DONALD KAHN Obituary

KAHN--Donald William, Ph.D., died suddenly of natural causes on Friday, January 16, 2015 at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Don was truly a Renaissance man. A scholar of algebraic topology and an accomplished photographer, he viewed the world (often through the lens of his omnipresent Leica) as a composition of light and form. Don traveled far and wide to scuba dive, view solar eclipses and climb mountains, returning home after each voyage to hand-develop and print and share a photographic record of his experience. Along with many professional publications and two books on advanced mathematics, he had recently published a concise history of photography. Don was a lifelong musician who played trombone, piano, harpsichord and cello. He had a true passion for music and each Wednesday played in an amateur chamber orchestra. Don loved the French language and spoke like a native. He rode his bike year- round in Minneapolis weather and was a raconteur who delighted in long conversations with family and friends. From his earliest days, Don was a mediator, a protector and a jovial presence at any gathering. Donald was the son of Irving Kahn and the late Ruth Perl Kahn of New York City. He grew up primarily in Belle Harbor, New York, attending high school at Woodmere Academy. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his doctorate from Yale University, and taught at Columbia University, Heidelberg, Toulouse and Mexico City. Don is survived and beloved by his wife of 58 years, Minnesota State Representative Phyllis Kahn; his father, Irving Kahn; his brothers, Alan (Linda) Kahn and Thomas (Marilyn Weitzman) Kahn; his children, Tamar (Daniel) McNally and Jeremy (Kate Conner) Kahn; seven

grandchildren; and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews. Two memorial services, one to be held in Minneapolis and the other in New York City, will be announced at a later date. Donald W. Kahn was a giant of a man in every sense of the word. "We will 'ere remember." -The Kahn Family

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Published by New York Times on Jan. 25, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for DONALD KAHN

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3 Entries

Roy Joshua

January 12, 2024

Just adding an update. In August 2022, while giving a lecture at the IMA, at the University of Minnesota, as part of a birthday conference in honor of Gunnar Carlsson, I mentioned Donald and said he would have been quite happy to see me talk there, especially at that conference. The talk should be in the IMA archives as it was recorded.

Roy Joshua,
Professor,
Department of Mathematics,
Ohio State University,
Columbus, Ohio.

Roy Joshua

January 24, 2019

Donald helped me a lot when I first came to the University of Minnesota as a grad student in 1978. Realizing that
my interests were served by moving elsewhere, he was very helpful in me transferring to another University
more suited to my interests. Currently I am a tenured full professor at the Ohio State University and
I could not have done that without Donald's support and help, in those early years. Last I was at the IMA in 2006
I had stopped by Donald's office and chatted with him and occasionally we had some e-mail exchanges also
over the years. I am sure Donald would be proud of what I have accomplished as a mathematician and I am always in his debt.

Roy Joshua, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Roy Joshua

January 26, 2015

Donald was a friend and mentor. I will miss him.

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