The Hon. Gordon Barry Kahn

The Hon. Gordon Barry Kahn, retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, civic leader, art collector and philanthropist, died May 31 at his home in Mobile. Kahn, a Mobile native who called himself "a very fortunate man," was 86. "I love my family, I love my religion, I love my profession," Kahn reflected in his later years. To this list he added his hometown, the Alabama port city that delighted and nurtured him, his roots in Mobile's old downtown, and Crimson Tide football. Born Dec. 3, 1931, Kahn was the son of Al Kahn, a Polish Jewish immigrant and Molly Prince Kahn, the oldest of 9 children . Known to boyhood friends as "G.B." , he was surrounded by a large, extended family that celebrated, Rosh Hashona at his home , and coveted an invitation for the Jewish New Year luncheon he held for many years.. He was very close to his brother Nathan, with whom he spoke every day of his life. After Leinkauf School, Barton Academy, Gulf Coast Military Academy and Murphy High, class of 1949, Kahn set off for the Capstone. "I went there to be a member of Kappa Nu fraternity," Kahn said of University of Alabama, where he majored in business administration, B.S.1953. A stint in the U.S. Army, post-Korean War, 1953 – '55, found 1Lt. Kahn in the medical services corps, training new recruits on the hazards of chemical and biological warfare. After service he returned to University of Alabama for law school, LL.B. 1958, then headed north to New York University for a Master of Law in Taxation, LL.M 1959. While an associate specializing in tax work in the Mobile law firm of Lyons, Pipes and Cook, Kahn started a family – his son, Andrew Fortier Kahn, was born. Kahn involved himself in civic affairs, and after 15 years of law practice was appointed to the bench. As U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Alabama, 1974 – 1994, Kahn presided over an approximate 700 cases a year. Although people arrived in his courtroom in despair – "everything bad happened to them before they came to me" – his responsibility, he said, was to provide "their chance to get out from under the rock. I looked upon myself as a ray of hope for them." In his free time he cultivated his passion for art, an enthusiasm that began the summer of 1957 when taking a law course in London sponsored by Oxford University. On trips to Europe's museums he fell under the spell of great art and tried his hand at painting but realized that art appreciation – and soon collecting – was his strength. One focus was the School of Paris, oil painters from 1950 – 1960. Profiled in the 2014 book, "The Mobile Museum of Art: Selections from Fifty Years of Collecting," Kahn said of acquiring art: "I love the hunt, the chase," as well as having paintings at home, sitting before one "just to bask in its light." To Kahn, amassing a world-class collection meant sharing it with his community. Rather than donating to vast museums in big cities far away, he made the Mobile Museum of Art the recipient of his largesse. He estimated that, over the course of his lifetime, he gave over 700 art objects to the museum. "Mobile has been good to my family," he said. "It's a way of giving back." Kahn's love of community, detailed in Who's Who in the World, 1980, and Who's Who in America, 1982, included being involved with the Mobile Public Library – as president of the Friends of the Library 1963 – '64, and a trustee in 1974 – and on the board of directors of the Mobile Salvation Army. He was a Mason, Howard Lodge. Kahn was deeply committed to Jewish causes and institutions, serving as president of Mobile's Jewish Community Center in 1974, and on the board of the B'nai B'rith Home for the Aged in Memphis. He incorporated Mobile's Jewish Welfare Fund, served as chairman of Mobile's United Jewish Appeal in 1964, and supported the religious school of Springhill Avenue Temple, where he was a longstanding member and served on the board. He was also a member of Mobile's Congregation Ahavas Chesed. A congenial man with a good sense of humor, Kahn enjoyed, in his retirement years, traveling, antiquing and visiting with friends . "One of the keys to happiness," he once told a friend, "is wanting what you get, not getting what you want. I never had to worry about what somebody else had because I was happy with what I had." Count your blessings, he advised. He is survived by his son, Andrew Kahn of Mobile, his sister Annette Kahn Webster of Dallas, his brother Nathan Kahn (Myra) of Pensacola, his niece Carol Kahn Parker ( Shane Johnson ) and nephew Louis Kahn (Leslie) of Pensacola , his great niece Celia Finkelstein of Los Angeles, his great nephew Alan Kahn of Pensacola, his great niece Ashley (Jared) Salley of Pensacola, 3 great great nieces/ nephews, and numerous cousins throughout the South. There will be a graveside service at the Ahavas Chesed cemetery(Virginia St. @ Owen) on Sunday, June 3. At 2:00 PM, followed by a memorial service and reception at the Springhill Avenue Temple at 3:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, if you desire to make a charitable contribution, please consider the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund at either Congregation Ahavas Chesed or The Springhill Avenue Temple. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-saraland.com.