Anne Hessing Cahn

Anne Hessing Cahn, a long-time resident of Bethesda and noted arms control expert, died peacefully on December 8, 2024, with her family by her side at her home in Seattle.
She led an extraordinary life and lived it to the fullest. She was born in Mönchengladbach in Germany and fled with her parents Ernest and Herta Hessing when the Nazis came to power. They lived in France and then settled in California. Her father, an ophthalmologist, started a solo practice in Oakland California. Her beloved sister May was born there.
While attending UC Berkeley, she met and married the love of her life, John W. Cahn. They lived in several cities as his career started. She was always interested in politics and liberal causes. As her children grew, she went back to school and got a PhD in Political Science at MIT, then worked at the Harvard Center for International Affairs, focusing on arms control.
She moved to the Washington DC area to serve under President Carter in the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency as the Chief of the Social Impact Staff and then became the Executive Director of the nonprofit Committee for National Security. She also served as an adjunct professor at American University. She was confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Board of Directors of the US Institute of Peace. She is the author of several books including "Eggheads and Warheads" and "Killing Détente". In 2006, she and John moved to Seattle.
She travelled extensively and made friends wherever she went. Anne was smart, loving, and kind with a sharp wit and a wonderful laugh. She was an inspiration and role model. Anne battled Mild Cognitive Impairment for 30 years with fierce determination and dignity. She was still doing crossword puzzles almost to the end.
She is survived by her three children, Martin (Jane) a physician in Seattle, Andrew (Ruth) a retired schoolteacher in Kenmore, and Lorie (Doug) a retired hydrogeologist in Wyoming, and her sister, May (John) Gerstle in Seattle. She has six grandchildren: David (Jennifer), Jackson, Kyler (Haley), Devin (Angelique), Tobin (Tyeler), and Torey (Molly), and two great grandchildren, Mabel and Cecil.
She willed her body to the University of Washington Medical School so that she could contribute to education even after her death. The family wishes to express our appreciation to the nurses and aides at the Mirabella who took such loving care of her, especially during her final chapter in Memory Care. No services planned.