In Memory of
Irwin Kolk
January 26, 2018
Obituary
Irwin Kolk passed away of natural causes at the age of
89 on January 26, 2018.
The only child of Jacob and Ruth Kolk, Irwin Kolk was a
product of New York City public education, graduating
from Stuyvesant High School and City College of New
York. While serving in the U.S. Army in the 1950s, he
was assigned surveying work in Alaska and California.
Following in the footsteps of his father, who was the
City Engineer of Brooklyn, Irwin Kolk chose a career in
civil engineering. During his long and distinguished
tenure with the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey, he was instrumental in the design of many of its
facilities, including marine terminals, Newark Airport,
the lower level of the George Washington Bridge and the
"bathtub" of the World Trade Center.
Irwin Kolk was a fan of the Yankees, Shakespeare,
classical music, and the opera.
After retiring from the PA, he and his wife Marcia [nee
Sokoloff] moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, drawn by its
opera, beautiful scenery and the opportunity for Marcia
to continue her work as a teacher, weaver and quilter.
There Irwin Kolk worked for the Southwest Association of
Indian Affairs, which for nearly 100 years has promoted
the work of Native American artists at its annual
markets.
After more than 60 years of marriage, Marcia Kolk passed
away in August, 2017. Irwin Kolk is survived by his
beloved daughters Wendy Kolk and Nancy Smith, and their
husbands Bruce Comen and Garrott Smith, respectively. He
will be greatly missed by his nieces and nephews: Hon.
Lisa A. Sokoloff, Edward Yutkowitz, Margaret Edelson,
Stephen Edelson, Rachel Dobkowski, and Andrew P.
Sokoloff, and cousins Robert and Jeanne Becker and
Martin and Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker.
Published on NYTimes.com from
February 5, 2018 to February 6, 2018
