Amalie M. Kass

AMALIE MOSES HECHT KASS of Belmont, formerly of Lincoln, died May 19, 2019. She was born in Baltimore, MD on January 9, 1928 to Leslie and Helene Moses. She grew up in Baltimore with her brother Alfred Moses and sister Claire Moses Lovett and attended Wellesley College.

In 1949, she married Malcolm (Mac) Hecht Jr., with whom she had five children: Anne, Robert, Thomas, Jonathan, and Peter Hecht. Following Mac’s death, she married Dr. Edward Kass in 1975 and became stepmother to his children Robert, James, and Nancy Kass.

Amalie obtained her M.Ed from Boston University and taught high school history in the Newton public schools. She later devoted herself to medical history, authoring two books (one with her husband) and many scholarly articles, with a particular focus on obstetrics, women’s health, and the intersection between medicine and social justice.

Amalie was a passionate supporter of and generous benefactor to her alma mater Wellesley College (where she was a trustee), the Massachusetts Historical Society (where she was the first woman to serve as board chair), the Greenway Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, and many other organizations.

Amalie was an avid outdoorswoman, skiing, hiking and gardening into her 80s.

Her greatest joy was her large family which, in addition to her eight children includes their spouses Loreta Matheo Kass, Robert Harrold, Jocelyne Albert, Susan Korrick, Lora Sabin, Sean Tunis, Kristina Jones, and Shan Soe-lin, her grandchildren Katie, Julia, Mark, Benjamin, Rebecca, Amelie, Evan, Nico, Alison, Hannah, Cody, Rachel, Mac, Gabe, Molly, Zoe, Alexis, Noah, Sophia, and Charlotte, and her great-granddaughter Emma.

Friends are invited to join the family for visiting hours at Amalie’s home, 20 Howells Road in Belmont, from 5pm to 9pm on May 22 and 23. A shiva minyan will take place both evenings at 7pm. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Wellesley College.

Contributions in Amalie’s memory may be made to the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts or the Pine Street Inn.