Lawrence Kahn

Lawrence Kahn, Chicago-born architect who left his mark on the Midwest, passed away at the age of 95. On September 22, 1927, Leona and Ernst Kahn welcomed their son, Lawrence “Laurie” Kahn. Laurie and his older brother, Herb, lived a happy childhood on the South Side of Chicago. Laurie’s parents instilled in him strong values: His father helped bring many family members over from Nazi Germany, and his mother furnished their apartments. When the refugees arrived on the train, Laurie and his family were always there to welcome them. After serving in the army from 1946 -1947, he became a registered architect. Laurie -known by his colleagues as Larry-and his classmate, Fred Bernheim, opened their own firm, Bernheim and Kahn. They were great partners for 44 years, and great friends for the rest of their lives. Laurie’s favorite projects were banks, synagogues, and newspaper printing plants. His legacy lives on in these landmarks-and in the excellent architects he mentored. But his proudest creation was his family. In 1954, he married Bette Migatz. He was an incredible husband to Bette, father to Susan and David, father-in-law to Dan Kirschner and Jodi Kahn, and grandfather to Sam Kahn and Hannah Kahn. Laurie was also extremely close with his extended family. Herb and his wife, Sylvia, had two children, Maureen (David Stolman) and Jamie (Carol Kahn), who took care of Laurie and Bette during the Covid years and beyond. Laurie always contributed to his community, serving on the J.C.C. Chicago board and building or renovating many of their centers. He enjoyed softball and tennis, good music and good meals, and every moment he shared with his beloved family and friends.

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Service Information

Service : Wednesday, May 17th at 1:00 pm
Service Location: Memorial Service -North Shore Congregation Israel

Interment: