Max Edward Tonkon, R.I.P. 1927 - 2023

MAX EDWARD TONKON R.I.P. 1927-2023

It is with regret that we learned of the death of Max Edward Tonkon on September 27, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. He was 96.

Max was a long-time Board member of the American Council for Judaism and was committed to a Judaism of universal moral and ethical values, free of nationalism.

He was a Board member of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas and chairman of its Cemetery Committee for many years. He was a founder and co-chairman of the Society of Classical Reform Judaism, now known as Roots of Reform Judaism.

Max had a lifelong love of sports. At Highland Park High School in Dallas, he played varsity football and became manager of the varsity baseball team. Later, he coached his sons’ teams at the YMCA.

Max graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. After college, he enlisted in the U. S. Army. As a commissioned officer, Max deployed to Germany during the Korean Conflict and rose to the rank of Captain. He joined his father, I. Edward Tonkon, also an active member of the American Council for Judaism, in the Tonkon Millinery Co., which became the largest millinery business in the country. For many years, Max was on the Board of the Texas Retailers Association and served in a similar capacity on many similar groups in Texas and beyond.

We extend our condolences to Max’s family, including his sons I. Edward Tonkon II, and Charles Gamm Tonkon, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Max, who was a pleasant and gracious presence in any room he entered, will be missed by many. *