Blanche Kahn

November 3, 1939 - December 8, 2022

Blanche Louise Perris Kahn died peacefully, surrounded and held by her family, on December 8, 2022, in New York City. Born in the Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland, to Leah Cronenberg Perris and Samuel Perris (Pairos), she grew up in a close-knit Jewish community with her siblings Sara, Roberta, and Melville. From the start she was a survivor. Born premature, she was rubbed with oil, swaddled, and put in the oven (door open) to keep her warm. Perhaps this explains her future antipathy towards cooking. At 21, Blanche set out boldly for New York City. As a bookkeeper on Wall Street, she met her first husband, Alan Kahn, with whom she had her two daughters, Amanda and Kimberly. In her 40s, she began taking part-time classes at Queens College. Her studies were interrupted by divorce and a mighty struggle with ovarian cancer, but in 1990 Blanche received her Bachelor’s degree in art history, graduating with honors. She worked as an assistant registrar for nearly 20 years, first at MoMA and then at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her work took her on worldwide adventures, escorting art to and from museums and lenders. In 2006 she married Duilio Bacci. They settled in San Francisco, where Blanche worked at the Met and Contemporary Jewish Museum stores. She loved interacting with customers from around the world, charming them with travel tales and her melodic, hard-to-place accent. A dedicated friend, Blanche maintained connections across decades and continents. Blanche had an impeccable sense of fashion and prided herself on meticulously coordinating her clothing and accessories. Blanche was as tough as she was beautiful. Determined to stay active in the face of lung cancer, she spent this July walking miles of NYC’s sweltering streets wearing an N95 mask. In her final illness her medical team was awed by her strength. She had an iron will. Blanche is survived by her husband Duilio Bacci, daughters Amanda Kahn-Kirby and Kimberly Kahn, sons-in-law Mason Kirby and Satadru Pramanik, grandchildren Julia and Miles Kirby and Ananke Kahn-Pramanik, as well as her sister Sara Kurtz and ex-husband Alan Kahn. No flowers, please, but remembrances are welcome.