Search by Name

Search by Name

Ann Elizabeth Kane

1925 - 2020

Ann Elizabeth Kane obituary, 1925-2020, Pittsfield, MA

Ann Kane Obituary

Ann Elizabeth Kane (née Andrews) was born January 30, 1925 to pre-eminent Shaker scholars and collectors Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews. Along with older brother David, she grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in the same house where their father was born.

Ann graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelors of Science in Clinical Psychology. She received her Master's from Columbia University Teacher's College in New York, living at NYC's renowned International House. At I-House she became friends with students from all over the world. Together they traversed the city, often visiting the jazz clubs in Harlem.

She went on a blind date with Thomas Kane and another couple, for dinner and dancing at Tavern on the Green in Central Park. Ann and Tom were immediately taken with one another and were married the following June. Their honeymoon included a long motorcycle trip in Europe visiting places where Viennese-born Tom had spent his childhood.

After Tom completed his PhD at Columbia he became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Their daughter Linda was born soon after, followed two years later by their son Jeffrey. The family spent a year in England, where Ann earned an MS in the University of Manchester's program for education of the deaf. Once back in the U.S. she devoted her energies to teaching Jeffrey, as well as other deaf children whose parents sought her out.

When Tom joined the Stanford faculty in 1961, the family moved to Palo Alto. They took every opportunity to enjoy all that their new home in California had to offer: day trips to the coast, hiking in the foothills, camping all over the state. After their children were grown Ann and Tom spent weeks backpacking in the Sierras, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, often accompanied by Tom's graduate students. They also hiked along England's Pennine Way, across the Auvergne in France, and from hut to hut in the Austrian Alps. They explored archaeological sites around the world: Pompeii, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, Ephesus, the Pyramids, Chichen Itza.

Ann will be remembered as a bright, energetic and cheerful person, always gracious and welcoming to those who visited her home, generous with her time. She passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of June 20, 2020. Ann was predeceased by her brother David Andrews in 1988, husband Thomas Kane in 2019 and son Jeffrey Kane in 2014. She is survived by daughter Linda Kane, granddaughter Elisabeth Kane, as well as several nieces and nephews, their spouses and children.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Berkshire Eagle on Sep. 27, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Ann Kane

Sponsored by The Berkshire Eagle.

Not sure what to say?





0 Entries

Be the first to post a memory or condolences.

Make a Donation
in Ann Kane's name

Memorial Events
for Ann Kane

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

How to support Ann's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Ann Kane's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more