Louis Elton Kahn

and died August 26, 2020, in Washington DC. Lou grew up in Napa, California, where his father

was a Boy Scout executive and his mother a public health nurse. As a youth, Lou earned the

Eagle Scout award. Lou graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a

member of Alpha Phi Omega, the Arnold Air Society, and a flautist in the Cal Band, including

the Straw-Hat Band and Baton, the band honor society. He received his Phi Beta Kappa award

in 1954. After graduation, Lou enlisted in the US Army and played the flute in an Army band.

Following his Army service, Lou traveled to Europe with the Cal Band, and visited Paris,

Denmark, and Brussels. Lou found his band uniform got him free admission to the opera

house, where he saw Tosca performed by the renowned La Scala Company of Milan, including

Renata Tebaldi, Giuseppe Di Stefano, and Gianandrea Gavazzeni.

In 1958, Lou joined the US State Department as a career Foreign Service officer. Lou was

selected to be a Turkish specialist based on his language skills, and was posted to Turkey

several times, including Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul. He was also fluent in French and was

posted to Dakar, Senegal. His final overseas post was to the US Mission to the UN in Vienna,

Austria. Lou then returned to the State Department in Washington, DC. He received the State

Department’s Merit Honor in 1972. Lou retired from the State Department in 1988. He then

served at the Justice Department, where he planned The International Conference of Appellate

Court Judges. Following government service, Lou spent 17 years as the Education and

Programs Director for the American Friends of Turkey. For over a decade, Lou organized

educational programs on Turkey at the Smithsonian Institution in a partnership between the

American Friends of Turkey and the Smithsonian Associates.

Lou married the former Beverly Baldwin in 1967. They had one daughter, Melissa. Beverly

died of cancer in 1974. In 1984, Lou married Ruth Carlsen. Music and the arts, particularly

opera and classical music, were Lou’s other great loves. He also enjoyed reading and

literature, following national and global politics, architecture, and railroads.

Lou is survived by his wife, Dr. Ruth Carlsen-Kahn, brother Alan, of Yountville, California, children

Melissa (Jason) Richey, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, Rebecca (Robert) Nesse of Rochester,

Minnesota, Debra (John) Wilkinson of Zumbrota, Minnesota, Steven (Ann Marie) Carlsen of

Bloomington, Minnesota, Dr. Susan (Michael) Baker of Elmhurst, Illinois, grandchildren Justin

Richey, Logan Richey, and Marcus Richey, John (Holli) Nesse, Lucas (Emily) Nesse, Sonja

(Gabriel Eguia) Nesse, Robert (Nicole) Wilkinson, Laura (Maxwell) Wilkinson Behrens, Dr.

Elizabeth (Dan) Wilkinson Cozine, Anthony Carlsen, Claire Carlsen, Dr. Evan (Jennifer) Baker,

and Katherine Baker, and 11 great-grandchildren.

A Zoom Memorial service is planned. Lou’s remains will be buried with his family at Golden

Gate National Cemetery in California.

Memorials are suggested to:

Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC www.cathedral.org

DACOR (Diplomatic & Consular Officers Retired) www.dacorbacon.org

Scouts BSA Troop 98 www.kahn.troop98dc.org