John Kallir

John Kallir passed away at his Manhattan home on April 3, just a few weeks shy of his 99th birthday. Born on April 23, 1923, in Vienna, John fled the Nazis with his family when he was fifteen. After serving in the US army during World War II, he earned an MA in modern history at Columbia, where he met his future wife, Joyce Rubin. They wed in 1949, and Joyce passed away in 2011. From 1957 to 2011, the Kallirs lived in Westchester County, where John took an active interest in local politics. He worked at the pharmaceutical advertising agency McAdams for eleven years, leaving in 1961 to establish his own firm. Kallir Philips Ross eventually became the largest advertising agency in the medical field. In 1998, John was inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame. With interests and enthusiasms ranging from science, mathematics and history to theater, literature and music, John was beloved by his employees and especially by his two surviving daughters, Jane and Barbara. A memorial service will be held at 10 AM on April 24 at www.riversidememorialchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory may be made to the International Rescue Committee, the Sierra Club or the Metropolitan Opera.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.riversidememorialchapel.com for the Kallir family.