Julius Cahn

SANTA FE, N.M. – Julius H. Cahn, 89, died July 29, 2009, in Santa Fe. He was born Oct. 29, 1919, in Chicago, eldest son of Morton D. Cahn and Elizabeth Hofeller Cahn.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Helen Blackhall Cahn; his three children, Frederick H. Cahn, Morton D. Cahn II and Eric A. Cohen; daughters-in-law, Aija Kante, Laura Potter Cahn and Tsivia A. Cohen; and grandchildren, Samuel P. Cahn, Nathan P. Cahn, Ezra P. Cahn and Elizabete K. Cahn. His brother, Morton D. Cahn Jr., and sister, Mary Cahn Wolf, also survive. His brother, Alan H. Cahn, predeceased him.

Mr. Cahn, familiarly known as Jules, grew up in Winnetka, and graduated from Yale University in 1942. He then joined in World War II work at Camp Evans Signal Laboratory, Belmar, N.J., and later at the University of California in Berkeley.

In 1944, Mr. Cahn joined the U.S. Army and was sent to the European theater, where he was briefly posted with his brother, Morton. All three brothers served in World War II.

After completing graduate school, Mr. Cahn taught physics at the University of Nebraska, spent eight years at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, and 26 years at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, most of that time in the Astronomy Department. He retired in 1985 and he and his wife moved to Santa Fe, N.M., in 1992.

Mr. Cahn was introduced early to classical music and it was a major interest throughout his life. He was a gifted amateur pianist and also gave time and effort to the bass and cello. While he attended many, many concerts in his life, his real love was playing music with others.

Mr. Cahn was introduced to travel by his maternal grandmother, who took him with her on a yearlong trip around the world in 1935. During that year he learned French in Belgium and beat several Nazis at games while traveling on a ship to Japan.

He loved motorcycles, cars, boats and airplanes. He was proud of his pilot certifications - instrument multi-engine - and he rented, then owned and flew single-engine and twin-engine airplanes for 30 years. His wife was frequently his co-pilot.

In his later years, Mr. Cahn became interested in weightlifting and pursued this activity at Carl and Sandra's Gym in Santa Fe. He took part in weightlifting meets and was one of the oldest participants in the sport.

He was an intelligent, kind man, a generous, loving husband and father whose warmth and enthusiasm for life ended only with his sudden death.

Mr. Cahn was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe. Private services were held at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Contributions in his memory may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, of which he had been a member since 1950, 125 Broad St., 18th floor, New York, N.Y., 10004, or to The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, P.O. Box 9692, Santa Fe, N.M., 87504.