Donald Kahn

1935 - 2022

Donald Kahn
February 5, 1935 - March 26, 2022
Donald Harold Kahn died peacefully on March 26, 2022. He was the eldest son of Anita and Zel Kahn. Don was a loving and beloved son, husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He also was a successful businessman, admired and respected by all who knew him. He was generous in every way, deeply philanthropic and he particularly loved Jewish causes.
Don grew up in the Sunset District of San Francisco. He went to public school and graduated from Lowell High School where he was a proud all-city guard on the football team. At Lowell, he met his love and best friend, Roz (Schwartz) Kahn. Following Lowell, they both went to UC Berkeley where Don was a proud member of the ZBT fraternity where he made lifelong friends.
Don and Roz married in 1954 at the Palace Hotel and he joined his father in the salvage business where they worked together for more than 27 years. He was joined in the business by his brother Scott Kahn and ultimately, to his delight, his son Daniel Kahn.
Don loved spending time at the Concordia Club with a wide circle of friends. He loved San Francisco sports and was a Giants season ticket holder for many years. He loved trips to Kona Village and Silverado with his family. And he loved traveling the world with friends including Morrie and Ellie Green, Howie and Jeanie Cohn, Bobby and Don Kamler, and Irv and Varda Rabin.
Above all else, what Don loved the most was his treasured wife who was the center of his world. He lived to make her happy and supporting her whether it was when she returned to school to earn a master's degree, when she ran with an Olympic Torch on its way to Los Angeles in 1984, or when she became a lifetime master at bridge. Whatever made her happy, Don was all in.
Nothing made Don prouder than his amazing and loving family who all knew him as Pop. His respected son, Dr. James Kahn (daughter-in-law, Karen); his devoted daughter Robin Mayer (son- in-law, Bob); and his cherished youngest son Daniel Kahn (daughter-in-law, Sheri Lempert). He is a beloved grandfather to Benjamin (Stacy) Mayer, Amy (Tom) Kelly, Danielle (Ben) Cohen, Annie Obermeyer, Sophia and Samuel Klein, and Zoe and Hannah Kahn. And he was an over the moon great-grandfather to Oliver, Asher, Peri, Livana, Nev, Micah and Gavin. And his heart expanded to a wide circle of important nephews and nieces, grandnieces, and grandnephews.
The family would like to thank his incredible care givers, Telesia (Sia) Niu and Longovuka (Vuka) Tau. Their kindness and compassion sustained Don and enabled him to live happily at home.
Don was laid to rest at Hills of Eternity, Colma, CA. Charitable contributions can be made to the Hebrew Free Loan Society.