http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032403066_2.html
Irving A. Sirken Economist
Irving A. Sirken, 87, an economist at the World Bank from the late 1950s
until his retirement in 1986, died March 21, 2009, at his home in
Washington. He had Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Sirken, who was a division chief of the World Bank's Economic
Development Institute during his career, was fluent in five languages,
including Spanish, Portuguese and Yiddish. During retirement he was awarded
a Fulbright fellowship to research the economics of the performing arts
industry in Europe.
Irving Arnold Sirken was born in Montreal and during World War II served in
the Royal Canadian Navy. He received a bachelor's degree in politics and
economics from McGill University in Montreal in 1943 and a master's degree
and a doctorate in economics from Harvard University, in 1946 and 1952,
respectively.
He was an economics professor at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.,
before moving to Washington in 1954 to work as an economist at the Interior
Department.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Muriel Sanger Sirken of Washington;
two children, Alec Sirken of New York City and Adrienne Sirken of Princeton,
N.J.; a sister; and two grandsons.
--
Lauren Wiseman