Owen A. Knopping, 75, tax attorney

Owen A. Knopping, 75, of Bryn Mawr, a tax lawyer in Philadelphia for 45 years, died Tuesday, Oct. 20, of pancreatic cancer at home.

Mr. Knopping was a partner in the Philadelphia law firm of Fox Rothschild, where he served as cochair of the federal tax controversy and litigation practice group.

He represented clients in civil and criminal cases before the IRS, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, and other taxation bodies.

Roy Neff, a friend of 30 years, said Mr. Knopping had the perfect temperament for such work: He was smart and gentle, and could make friends with anyone - even IRS auditors.

"Through his personality and willingness to compromise, they would cooperate with him," Neff said.

Law partner and longtime lunch buddy Norman Leibovitz said Mr. Knopping "never uttered a bad word about anyone. He always tried to find good in every person, client, partner, family, and friend. He was a mensch."

Before joining the firm, Mr. Knopping was a trial attorney with the IRS District Counsel in Newark, N.J.

He lectured and wrote extensively on a variety of tax subjects, including "alerts" he crafted for clients on points he thought they should know.

In April 2010, for example, he wrote advising them of a period of tax amnesty offered by Philadelphia and the state.

"If you owe taxes to the state or the city, you can expect to be hearing from these taxing authorities in the near future. And even if you do not receive a communication, there will be a 'window of opportunity' to resolve your outstanding tax liabilities on a favorable basis," he wrote. He then explained how to navigate the amnesty process.

Outside the firm, Mr. Knopping was an adjunct professor of taxation at Rutgers School of Law-Camden, lecturing on federal tax procedure.

He was civic-minded, and began a busy schedule of volunteer work in the early 1970s. He was president of the Ardwood Civic Association and influential in opening a refurbished St. Mary's Hospital in Port Richmond. He chaired the Jewish Family and Children's Services, the Kaiserman Branch of the Jewish Community Centers, Martin's Run Retirement Community, and the Green Valley Country Club.

Paula Goldstein, president and CEO of Jewish Family and Children's Services, said Mr. Knopping was "a tremendous leader" for the group over the years.

"He was always attending board meetings and making important connections for us with the outside community," she said. "This is quite a loss for all of us, and we will miss him."

Born in New York City, he grew up across from Yankee Stadium. His family moved to Mount Vernon, N.Y., where he graduated from Mount Vernon High School. After earning a bachelor's degree in 1961 from the College of William and Mary, he completed a law degree and a postgraduate law degree in taxation, both from the college's Wythe School of Law.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Margaret Farro; sons Jamie, Eric, and David; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services are to be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Main Line Reform Temple, 410 Montgomery Ave., Wynnewood. Interment is in Haym Salomon Memorial Park, Frazer.

Donations may be made to the Owen Knopping Scholarship Fund at the Perelman School of Medicine. Checks should be payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine Development, 3535 Market St., Suite 750, Philadelphia 19104.

bcook@phillynews.com610-313-8102