Ira M Saligman

Ira M. Saligman, 53, of Wayne, an aviator, philanthropist, and real estate investor, died Sunday, July 31, of injuries he had sustained six days earlier when his vintage aircraft caught fire as it landed in West Mifflin, Pa. The cause of the fire in the World War II-era plane, as it pulled to a stop on the tarmac, was unknown. Mr. Saligman was en route to an air show in Oshkosh, Wis., where he intended to meet his pilot friends. Reared in Gladwyne, Mr. Saligman attended the Haverford School, but graduated from Harriton High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a master's degree in business administration from Emory University in Atlanta. Mr. Saligman's passion was flying airplanes. After college, he enlisted in the Navy, which sent him to its officer training school. His dream came true when he was accepted at flight training school, and after three years, received his wings as a naval aviator. When the Persian Gulf War broke out in 1990, he was assigned to the Viking S3 anti-submarine aircraft and flew off the aircraft carrier USS America for the duration of the conflict. He worked for Cynwyd Investments, the family business, before joining the finance and acquisition groups at Preferred Real Estate, where he oversaw the underwriting, leasing, and financing of "difficult to finance" commercial projects. In the nonprofit world, he served as the chief financial officer for the Robert Saligman Charitable Foundation. The Bala Cynwyd foundation supports Jewish agencies, temples, and education, and provides funding for the arts, health, and human services. He served as a board member and chairman of the Investment Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia. Mr. Saligman also served on the board of Federation Housing, a 1,200-unit independent living facility for low-income seniors in Philadelphia. Besides his sister, Mr. Saligman is survived by his wife, Arden Williams Saligman; his mother, Alice; sons Van and Gill; daughter Lila; another sister, Carolyn; and a brother, Peter.