Howard Leonard Korn

Howard L. Korn, formerly a resident of Jacksonville, Florida, died on October 8, 2025 in Plano, Texas after a short illness. He was 93. Howard is survived by Joyce Korn, his wife of over 72 years, his son Michael Korn (Pamela) and daughter Cathy Korn Feldman (Howard), four grandchildren, David Korn (Rachel), Suzanne Korn (Dory), Melissa Feldman and Eric Feldman, and two great-grandsons, William Korn and Benjamin Korn.

Howard was born in 1932 in Jersey City, New Jersey and was a cum laude graduate of Rutgers University, where he majored in mathematics. While in college he met his future wife and life partner Joyce, with whom he shared a long and wonderful life.

Howard enjoyed continuous career success based on his actuarial experience. He worked in various positions for insurance companies in New York City and Washington, D.C., before relocating to Jacksonville, Florida in 1969, when he was hired by Gulf Life Insurance Company to lead the company's group health insurance division. While in Jacksonville, Howard served on numerous community boards, notably including the United Way of Northeast Florida. He also was a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Hospital Cost Containment Board and served as President of the Florida Insurance Council.

In 1981, Howard was offered the opportunity to relocate to Dallas, Texas to become President of Republic Life Insurance Company, a company owned by the Gulf United holding company. After various corporate reorganizations, Howard became President of Acordia, a health insurance carrier which was a part of the American General family of companies. Howard retired from Acordia in 1995.

During his retirement, Howard pursued numerous volunteer community activities. He served on the Board and ultimately chaired the Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy in Dallas. Along with Joyce, Howard became affiliated with a community theater now known as Theatre Frisco, which at the time was a small, fledgling enterprise. Howard was asked to serve on the board because the theater needed someone with a business background to keep operations going. Howard then served as the theater’s President for almost twenty years. Under his guidance and leadership, and with Joyce’s ongoing work and support, Theatre Frisco enjoyed great success, and grew to become a major arts organization in the Metroplex area. Howard also returned to acting, which he had enjoyed during his high school and college days. He appeared in numerous community theater productions throughout the Dallas area, and even branched out to do commercials for television and print media. Howard was especially proud of the teamwork that led to the success of Theatre Frisco when he decided to step away from active Board engagement in 2025.

Everyone who knew Howard recognized his kindness, honesty and concern for others. His business acumen was coupled with his zest for life. People always sought out his advice and wise counsel. He and Joyce traveled extensively over the years and they often recounted stories about their overseas and domestic trips to family and friends. Howard delighted in all the various activities of his family. His was a life was well lived and he will be deeply missed by all his family and friends.

A private burial was held in Dallas on October 10, 2025. A celebration of Howard’s life will be held at Theater Frisco on March 29, 2026.