Mary E Kane

KANE, Mary Ellen, beloved wife of Frank Kane, died July 17, 2017, in Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. She had been residing in the Brandermill Woods retirement community. Mrs. Kane, age 87, recently served as president of the Women's Club. She was outgoing, had many friends and displayed a keen sense of humor. She also was a very good writer and loved tennis, both as a player and spectator, and was a lifelong gardener. She was a freshman at the University of Michigan when she met Frank, who had already graduated and was a reporter for the Ann Arbor News. They were married in 1950. They first made their home in Ann Arbor and then, moved to Ithaca, N.Y., where Mr. Kane did graduate work at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University to prepare for becoming a reporter of labor news. She worked in the Cornell library. In 1953, they moved to Toledo, Ohio, when he took a job with "The Blade." It was there that their four daughters were born and attended schools. After covering the labor beat and later, City Hall, Mr. Kane was transferred to Columbus, where he served in the newspaper's Statehouse bureau from 1958 to 1963. They then returned to Toledo, where Mr. Kane was city editor before being sent to the Washington bureau in 1969. During those years, she completed work on a Bachelor's degree in education from the University of Michigan, was a substitute high school teacher and later, enjoyed working for the Alexandria Tourist Council. In 1984, her husband left "The Blade" and began a series of public relations jobs in Washington. She worked for the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, retiring in 1999. Surviving are daughters, Sheila (Mrs. Alec Fraser) of Atlanta, Ga., Julie (Mrs. Jeff Bigler) of Alexandria, Nancy (Mrs. Steve Sebastian) of Moorestown, N.J. and Anne Haring of Chesterfield, Va.; a sister, Mrs. Suzanne Gillman of Cincinnati; six grandsons, Robert Sebastian of San Francisco, Powell Fraser of New York, Thomas Sebastian of Voorhees, N.J., Brendan and Tyler Haring of Chesterfield, and James Bigler of Alexandria; two granddaughters, Julianne Bigler of Alexandria and Katherine Sebastian of Moorestown; and one great-grandchild, Charles Fraser. A service will be held Saturday, July 22, at 2 p.m., at Woody Funeral Home in Midlothian, Va. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Michigan, Fund 311017, 3003 S. State St., Suite 8000, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109. Arrangements under the direction of Woody Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel, Midlothian, VA.