Dec. 10, 1924—Oct. 14, 2009

Irving Korn, president of BufKor Inc. until 1983 and an original partner of Seneca Development& Management, died Wednesday in Niagara Lutheran Home, Buffalo, after a long illness. He was 84.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, he spent most of his childhood in Columbus, where his family operated a restaurant near the campus of Ohio State University. After graduating from high school, he attended Ohio State’s Engineering School until he was drafted by the Army in 1942. He participated in a specialized survey and mapmaking training program at New York University and had been accepted for Officers Candidate School when World War II ended.

After the war, he moved to Buffalo to assist with the newly created William Korn&Co., a manufacturer of jewelry display items, started by his father. In the early 1960s, the company merged with Buffalo Jewelry Case Co. and was renamed as BufKor Inc.

For the next 20 years, BufKor Inc. continued to have its headquarters and primary manufacturing plants in Buffalo but expanded to California, Florida and other locations. As a locally based operation, BufKor designed, manufactured and distributed high-quality, hand-crafted jewelry displays, boxes and showcase items throughout the United States and abroad.

One of BufKor’s Buffalo sites was at 701 Seneca St., in the Old Larkin Warehouse. By the late 1970s, the historic building was neglected and in danger of being foreclosed and possibly torn down. Mr. Korn took the initiative to organize the 701 Seneca Tenants Association and secure the necessary funding to keep the 1,000,000- square-foot building open and a source of employment.

Following his retirement from BufKor in 1983, Mr. Korn and other founding partners of Seneca Development&Management worked on the revitalization of Seneca Industrial Center—the renamed 701 Seneca site. He also worked on the creation of Theater Place, the revival of the Tralfamadore Cafe and jazz club, and the opening of the Market Arcade movie theaters.

He and his wife, Betty, were among the original tenants of the City Centre Residences and Office Space on Main Street.. Mr. Korn was a tireless supporter of quality building and development projects to revitalize Buffalo’s central core.

Mr. Korn also worked on behalf of numerous cultural and humanitarian organizations. He was active in the Foundation of Jewish Philanthropies, a member of the Temple Beth Zion board and Jewish Family Service. He served as president of the University at Buffalo Friends of the School of Architecture. He also supported Buffalo cultural venues, including Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Burchfield Penney Art Center, CEPA, Hallwalls, Studio Arena Theatre and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

He was a longtime fan of the Buffalo Bills, going back to the team playing at “The Rockpile.” Social and athletic affiliations included the Touchdown Club, Saturn Club, Montefiore Club and Westwood Country Club.

Survivors include y his wife of 58 years, Betty; two sons, Nathan and Kenneth; and a daughter, Kathryn Bram.

A service will be at 1 p. m. Sunday in Temple Beth Zion, 805 Delaware Ave.