Stephen J. Korn, 94, Philadelphia lawyer and civic volunteer

Stephen J. Korn, 94, of Cheltenham, a senior partner at the Philadelphia law firm of Dilworth Paxson and a civic volunteer, died Friday, March 1, of complications from a fall at a nursing home in Mount Horeb, Wis.

He had moved to Wisconsin last June to be near his daughter, the family said.

Mr. Korn began his law career as an associate at the Philadelphia firm of Blanc, Steinberg & Balder before moving to Fox, Rothschild, O’Brien & Frankel. He specialized in corporate, real estate, and health-care law.

In 1959, he cofounded the firm of Korn & Cohan with Donald S. Cohan. In 1966, Korn & Cohan merged with Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish & Levy, where Mr. Korn served on the executive committee and chaired the corporate and real estate departments for almost three decades.

“In the formative years of Dilworth, Steve was a huge figure,” said Lawrence G. McMichael, a member of the firm’s senior leadership team. “In the history of the firm, he was one of the greats. He was just a terrific lawyer and a complete gentleman.”

Born in Overbrook to Joel and Carrie Korn, Mr. Korn graduated from Overbrook High School. In 1941, he enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania on a four-year Philadelphia Mayor’s Scholarship. He was one of 17 students citywide to receive such a scholarship.

Interrupting his studies, Mr. Korn enlisted and served as a bombardier in the Army Air Force from 1943 to 1945. Later, he told McMichael stories about flying missions on B-24 bombers out of Italy. Mr. Korn felt lucky to emerge unscathed. He was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant.

Following military service, he completed a bachelor’s degree at Penn and graduated from the Penn Law School in 1950.

At Dilworth Paxson, Mr. Korn excelled at using the English language precisely, McMichael said.

“He was an absolute master,” McMichael said. “If it was a fine point of grammar in question, Steve was right on point.”

When it came time for Mr. Korn to retire in the 1990s, he made an elegant exit, McMichael said. “Steve set the standard for how to retire. It’s not easy for lawyers to retire, and he set the standard for graciousness in the way he decided to leave.”

When not practicing law, Mr. Korn devoted himself to civic work. He was a trustee or board member for the Wistar Institute, Delaware Valley Hospital Council, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Willowcrest Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, and Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts.

In his most prominent volunteer role, he was an Einstein Medical Center trustee starting in 1976, and he expanded the role in 1990 to become chairman of the boards of the Einstein Healthcare Foundation and Einstein Medical Center.

His family described Mr. Korn as an opera enthusiast, a scrambler on the tennis court, and an optimistic golfer. McMichael said Mr. Korn was an amateur geologist who kept half-sliced samples of rock all over his law office.

He married Peggy Ann Karr in 1949. They divorced in 1970. He married Sandra Korn in 1974; they divorced in 1996. Both women survive.

He is survived by a son, Peter; a daughter, Margaret Hawkins; three grandchildren; a brother; and his longtime companion, Hinda Brown. A sister died earlier.

At his request, there will be no services.