ORONO – Irving Kagan, 76, of Dirigo Pines, died unexpectedly Dec. 1, 2005. He was born Dec. 19, 1928, in Lynn, Mass., the son of Max and Nettie (Kagan) Kagan. He was a graduate of Bangor High School and received his bachelor of science degree in 1948, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began his employment in October 1948, with the Penobscot Shoe Company, as a production employee ascending to the company’s presidency in 1968. Mr. Kagan was named to the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Penobscot Shoe in 1973. He retired as president and CEO in 1993, and remained board chairman through 1999. Mr. Kagan was chairman of Eastern Maine Healthcare, board of trustees 1996-2005; trustee of Eastern Maine Medical Center 1984-1990 and chairman of the board of trustees, 1990-1996, and a founding trustee of Acadia Hospital, Bangor, 1993-2005. Mr. Kagan was active in numerous organizations. He was a trustee of the Max Kagan Family Foundation. He was a founding trustee of Carrabassett Valley Academy, a private co-educational preparatory school emphasizing on-snow competitive programs. He was a former trustee and treasurer of Maine Maritime Academy, a former director of Merrill Bank, Fleet Bank, (now Bank of America), a former director of Footwear Industries of America; chairman of the Jewish Community Endowment Association and a former chairman of the United Jewish Appeal Campaign of Bangor. He also served as trustee of the Two/Ten Associates Inc., a national philanthropic foundation of shoe, leather and allied trades. Mr. Kagan was a leader in the sport of alpine skiing. He served on the Board of Directors and as vice-president of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association and as the United States Representative to FIS, the International Ski Federation. He served as chairman of the U.S. Freestyle Competition Committee and served on the boards of the Sugarloaf Ski Educational Foundation and the Sugarloaf Ski Club. Mr. Kagan was a recent recipient of the Katahdin Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award. Surviving are his wife, Paula (Gelb) Kagan of Orono; four children, Candace Platz and her husband, James, of Auburn, Leslie Kagan and her husband, Robert Coulam, of Newton, Mass., Nikki Kagan and her husband, Itzhak Ben Shlomi, of Tel Aviv, Israel, Daniel Kagan and his wife, Julie, of Freeport; eight grandchildren, Alexandra Jarige, Elliot Jarige, Emily Kagan, Jesse Peters, Shana Platz, Rebecca Platz, Max Kagan, and Rachel Kagan; one sister, Edith Grossman and her husband, Jerome, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; a brother-in-law, Ronald Striar M.D. of Bangor; nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Striar. A funeral service will be held noon Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Beth Israel Synagogue, 144 York St., Bangor, with Rabbi David Cantor, officiating. Interment will be in the Beth Israel Cemetery, Bangor. The family will be sitting Shiva, at 12 Alpine Court, Dirigo Pines, Orono, Sunday through Thursday, 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. with services at 3:30 p.m. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Buchanan Alumni House, University of Maine, 160 College Ave., Orono, following the services Sunday. Those who wish to, may make gifts in his memory to the Irving Kagan Fund, care of Eastern Maine Charities, P.O. Box 404, Bangor, ME 04402; the Lown Cardiovascular Research Foundation, 21 Longwood Ave., Brookline, MA 02445, or to the University of Maine, Office of University Development, 101 College Ave., Orono, ME 04473. A service of Brookings-Smith, Bangor.
IRVING KAGAN
