Howard Kaufman, formerly of Lenox, died September 1, at home in Israel. Born in 1926 and raised in the Berkshires, Howard was the son of Joseph and Esther (Gitelman) Kaufman. He was the younger brother to Ralph and Elinor, a close-knit family and they were raised among a large circle of extended family. He graduated from local schools and Williams College. He interrupted his undergraduate studies for Army service during World War II. He served in the Pacific theater for two years managing radar operations, including during active combat in the Battle of Luzon, and for this he was the recipient of four medals.
While on summer break from a Ph.D program, Howard met Nancy Rappaport at the Avaloch Inn of Lenox. Owned by Nancy’s brother Skip, Nancy took the train from New York on weekends to help at the Inn. Nancy and Howard married in 1954, and the reception was held at Avaloch. After starting a family, Howard left academia and joined the family business Kaufman Brothers, Inc. Founded in 1922 by his father Joseph and Uncle Harry, the business began as a wholesale confectionary. By 1945 they had also become a toy wholesaler based on securing a line of toys from Louis Marx and Co., helped along as Howard’s brother Ralph married Dorothy Borden, a member of the Marx family.
Howard later developed a retail toy business and strategy. The retail store concept was intermittently experimented with, and took form in 1959 when out of necessity Howard ended up running the store of a former customer. Thereafter Kaufman Brothers exited toy and candy wholesaling to focus on toy retailing. The first purpose-built store was developed in 1963. Slowly and eventually the retail stores thrived in parallel with the build-out of highways, suburbs and malls.
Howard became President and CEO, and the company name was changed to Kay-Bee Toy and Hobby Shops, and later on, to KB Toys. Along with a team that included his brother-in-law, Harry (Buddy) Baker and cousins, the company grew to a retail chain of over 1,300 toy stores, supported by 7,000+ employees, the nations’ largest. The shareholders sold the business in 1981 to Melville Corporation, a holding company that included CVS, Marshall’s, Thom McAn and other retail businesses. Howard retired in 1986.
Throughout his life Howard was a philanthropist and committed volunteer and leader to both the Jewish and Berkshire communities, for which he received numerous awards and much recognition. Within the Berkshire Jewish community, Howard was a member and lay leader of all local synagogues, delivered meals for the Jewish Federation, led the capital campaign to relocate and sponsor Jewish refugees of the former Soviet Union, helped purchase two summer camps for Jewish youth, served on the Sinai Academy Board of Directors, and was a leader of Berkshire County’s State of Israel Bond Campaign. He and Nancy presented two Founders Gifts to Hadassah Hospital, where they are recognized on the Mount Scopus campus.
In the greater Berkshire community, Howard served tirelessly, including as a volunteer or on the boards of Berkshire Bank and Trust Co., Berkshire Life Ins. Co., Berkshire Medical Center, Berkshire Committee of the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and Humanities, Berkshire Museum, Lenox Library, Berkshire Athenaeum, Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Tanglewood Overseer, Clark Art Institute, MASS MoCA, and Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. Together with Nancy, they created and funded many scholarships to enhance opportunities for young adults.
More generally, Howard was active in Williams College alumni affairs, an expert bridge, tennis and golf player, co-founder of the Monday Morning Mountain Boys Hiking Club, and generous host to all, including to BSO musicians during their summers in residence.
Howard was a devoted husband and father. He adored spending time with his beloved wife Nancy, and together they raised five children in an active and busy household, providing their children with an everlasting love for family, friendship, travel, music and culture, sports and competition, books, games and hobbies, the environment, community involvement, along with charity and responsibility. His commitment to his family, the State of Israel, the Berkshire and Jewish communities, and religious observance were his top priorities.
Howard had a vivid personality and made each interaction memorable. He was approachable and easy to spot with his dapper style and bow tie. He will be deeply mourned and wonderfully remembered. Nancy predeceased Howard. He is survived by his children, Joseph and Elizabeth, Lauren and Mike, Margo and Rick, Daniel and Pesha, David and Jodi, his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Ann Rappaport, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He leaves a legacy of generosity and kindness.
Published by The Berkshire Eagle on Sep. 3, 2022.
