Elizabeth "Beth" Irwin Kane

Elizabeth Irwin Kane passed away suddenly on December 30th. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dr. Arthur Kane; her loving children, Dr. Elizabeth Kane Knauer (Chris), Thomas Kane (Payal) and Michael Kane; her grandchildren Nathaniel Knauer and Kavi Kane; and her sister, Sandra Heiler (Duane) and her brother, Richard Irwin (Janice). She was predeceased by her parents Elizabeth and Stanley Irwin.

Known to friends and family as Beth, she was born in Boston, MA in 1946 and graduated in 1964 from Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, FL, where she excelled in all subjects, but especially English. She graduated in 1968 from Trinity College, Washington D.C, where she earned a BA degree in English and later earned an MA in Publishing and Editing from George Mason University.

Beth authored and published children’s stories and worked for the Society of American Military Engineers and the National Head Start Association. She was a voracious reader—on everything from the life of snails to the social history of New England Puritans. A member of the Kate Waller Barrett Chapter of the DAR, she was an accomplished genealogist with particular interest in the history of her own ancestors, who served in the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. She loved her garden, her koi pond, and decades of family pets, especially her cat, Jack. In a life filled with interests and accomplishments, though, her family, which she blessed with her wise counsel throughout their lives, remained her paramount priority.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 on January 5 at Demaine Funeral Home in Alexandria, VA and Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:15 PM on January 6 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown, preceded by a period of visitation at the church at 12:30. Following the Mass, the commitment service will be held at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mrs. Kane’s favorite charities, Heifer International www.heifer.org or Children’s Literacy Foundation https://clifonline.org