Death Of Doug Kahn (Michigan)

Kahn, Douglas Allen 11/7/1934 - 10/22/2021 Tallahassee, FL:

Douglas Allen Kahn, age 86, passed away peacefully on October 22, 2021, at his home in Tallahassee, Florida.

Doug (as he was called by friends) grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and was a graduate of the University of North Carolina and George Washington University Law School. After law school, he worked first at the Department of Justice and then at a small private firm in DC doing tax law work.

In 1964, Doug joined the faculty at the University of Michigan Law School. He taught there for 52 years until his retirement in 2016. Considered a giant in the field of tax law, he was a prolific scholar of both books and articles on a wide range of topics in tax. However, his first love was always his students. Although he visited at several outstanding law schools throughout his career, the University of Michigan held a special place in his heart. When explaining why he never left despite offers from other schools, he remarked that "I have never had any group of students that I have enjoyed as much as the ones that I've had here."

He was a gifted teacher in the classroom and inspired generations of students, many of whom became tax experts in their own right. More importantly, many of those students also became his lifelong friends.

He also loved (and loved to argue with) his colleagues and could often be found socializing with them in the faculty lounge or at a hosted dinner party with his wife, Mary. He was happy to discuss any topic, be it law, politics, the works of Noel Coward, the tax consequences of a triangular reorganization, or Michigan athletics, just to name a few.

He also loved (and loved to argue with) his colleagues and could often be found socializing with them in the faculty lounge or at a hosted dinner party with his wife, Mary. He was happy to discuss any topic, be it law, politics, the works of Noel Coward, the tax consequences of a triangular reorganization, or Michigan athletics, just to name a few.

Outside of his work, Doug was a true renaissance man. He was an avid patron of the theater, loved to travel, studied history and literature, and mastered the games of both chess (where he once earned a draw against Bobby Fischer) and bridge (where he earned the ranking of Ruby Life Master).  His laugh was booming and infectious and he loved to tell a good story.

Doug was devoted to his family and friends. He was generous, kind, honest and loving and he will be dearly missed by all whose lives he touched.

No formal memorial is planned. In memory of his support for the arts, memorial contributions preferred to Timberwolf Performing Arts Council (Chiles WolfPAC) (please note in the donation comments that it should be allocated to the Douglas A. Kahn Memorial Fund, as we plan to create a permanent memorial to support theater at the school).

Tax Prof Profile, Father's Day Edition: Douglas A. Kahn (June 18, 2005)

Tax Prof Profile, Extended Father's Day Edition: Jeffrey H. Kahn (June 25, 2005)