William S. Kanaga

William S. “Bill” Kanaga, Age 93, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family Sunday. Son of Clinton W. and Ruth (Smith) Kanaga of Kansas City, MO. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sarah “Sally” (Rowe), sons Chris, his wife Susie (Shackleford) and Clint, his wife Vicky (Elmer), also of Orleans, MA; he was predeceased by daughter Ann in 2018; also survived by grandsons John and his wife Stacy (Sippel), Br. Anthony and Joshua of Orleans; granddaughters Courtney (Fogarty) of Marion, MA, and Lindsey of Orleans; and six great-grandchildren.

Born in Wichita, KS on August 2, 1925, Bill’s family moved to Kansas City, where he attended Border Star Elementary School. He graduated from Southwest High School at age 16, and at age 17 attended Officer Candidate School, and began serving in the U.S. Navy at the Great Lakes. He rose to the rank of LT (jg) and was sent to the Pacific in World War II. Ferry troops home to the States, he rode out a typhoon and was the last man standing through it all.

Bill attended the University of Kansas, where he was an active member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and worked as a spotter for the radio broadcast of KU football games, graduating with a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering in 1947. Forever a strong advocate for the University, both of Jayhawk athletic and educational programs, he was later often asked to speak to gatherings of the business school and other major university events, later receiving the University’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award.

After college when Bill decided to pursue a business career, he attended Babson College near Boston, where he was awarded a degree in Business Administration. Soon after graduation he interviewed for a job as a junior accountant at Arthur Young & Company in Kansas City, one of the then “Big Eight” worldwide public accounting firms in 1948, and was asked to go to New York City for training. Kanaga lived in a single room in a boarding house and rode the subway to work – thus was born a career that spanned five decades in New York with one firm. He never returned to work in his hometown of Kansas City.

Three years later while on vacation with his sister Mary Louise and her family, at Epworth Heights in Ludington, MI, Bill went to the tennis courts one day and met his future wife Sally. In the days following, when he failed to show up at the cottage for many hours, Mary Louise commented that she thought the lovebug had bitten her little brother. And so it was, for Bill and Sally married the following year in 1952, and they returned to Epworth every summer thereafter with their growing family, enjoying Lake Michigan, tennis, activities, and their many lifelong friendships.

One of Bill’s partners at Arthur Young & Company (or “AY”which later became Ernst & Young), recently commented that, besides being one of the finest human beings he ever knew, was also the finest CPA, with the quickest grasp of the issues and the broadest set of skills he ever encountered. He was also one of the hardest working men, feeling it was important to be one of the first into the office every day. He became a Partner of the firm in 1960, rising to Managing Partner in 1972, Chairman in 1977, and Advisory Board Chairman after his retirement in 1985.

While living in suburban New York and then Connecticut in the 1950’s-70’s, Bill and Sally became members of Stanwich Congregational Church, and many life-changing events began to take place. During the early 70’s Bill and Sally became good friends with Eddie Waxer, a born-again Jewish Christian evangelist with Campus Crusade for Christ. Through Eddie they met the head of Campus Crusade, Bill Bright, and traveled with him on tours of Yugoslavia and Africa. Later with the full permission of his partners, Kanaga became the Chairman of Campus Crusades’ “Here’s Life” campaign in New York City. Many people began to find new meaning to their lives in those months, and thus Bill began receiving requests from U.S. Mayors and Governors to speak at their Annual Prayer Breakfasts. He spoke at many of those events, and in one speech he told of a retreat he’d attended on Cape Cod at the Community of Jesus, and that during a cooperative work time was asked to spread goat manure on the young carrot plants. At the end of his talk when Bill asked if there were any questions, a woman asked indignantly, “Didn’t they know who you were?” With a big grin Kanaga replied, “Oh yes, they definitely knew who I was!” That was one of the things Bill loved about the Community, that everyone there was just one of the bunch. After attending a number of retreats at the Community, Bill and Sally became members, building a home on the shores of Cape Cod Bay and moving there permanently in 1982. Bill made his solemn profession on November 25, 1990.

Bill Kanaga’s other professional achievements were numerous. After serving as Board Member on the American Institute of CPA’s from 1974-83, he became Chairman in 1980-81, and was awarded a Gold Medal for his outstanding achievements in 1989. As Chairman he spoke widely about the need for ethics in business, and was instrumental in the establishment of ethics courses at some of the country’s top business programs. Honesty, integrity, and high moral standards were his calling card in the business world.

Mr. Kanaga was a Board Member on the United States Chamber of Commerce from 1984-91, serving as Chairman of the Chamber in 1988-89, the first head of a public accounting firm to do so. As Chairman of the Chamber, and later Chairman of the Center for International Private Enterprise in the 1990’s, he considered it his mission to help former Eastern Bloc countries recover from years of socialism, Communist rule, and wrecked economies, to recover and make the transition to capitalism. He taught them that in business, your handshake is your word. You are agreeing to do what you say you will do, and are bound to do it. In a famous speech on C-Span in 1989, with President George H.W. Bush in attendance, Kanaga commented that state socialism had failed miserably around the world, and that those who were trying to bring it to the U.S would be responsible for what “stifles the most eloquent expression of the American spirit”.

Mr. Kanaga met with many heads of state, secretaries of state, ambassadors, and dignitaries around the globe, from a meeting with President Corazon Aquino in the Philippines, to dinner with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in New York. He met President Ronald Reagan, and introduced Pres. George H.W. Bush at the Annual Meeting of the U.S. Chamber. Titans in the world of business were his friends. Kanaga served as Board Member and Vice Chairman on the Business Council for United Nations (now United Nations Association) in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. At the drop of a hat, he would rush to help in emergencies, such as the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004, often at a cost to his own health. He was on the Boards of Directors of Presbyterian Hospital in New York; served as Board Member and Chairman of Mercy Ships; Mercy Medical Airlift; Athletes for Kids; Coalition of Christian Colleges; Graduate Schools of Business of Stanford University, UCLA, and Babson College; McDonnell-Douglas Corp., Value Line, Inc.; and Gloriae Dei Artes Foundation (now Arts Empowering Life).

It was to this last endeavor that Kanaga devoted much of his energy and passion in “retirement” (a term he never fully embraced). He worked tirelessly to bring Gloriae Dei Cantores, a world-class concert choir, to countries all over Europe, including three tours of Russia before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Bill treasured hearing the choir sing traditional and sacred songs of each country, and watching the tear-filled response of the listeners to the beauty of their own music, sung in their own language, music not heard for generations while under the rule of Communism or Fascism. His earlier passion for bringing free enterprise to poor countries of Eastern Europe, was now finding inspiration in this personal, spiritual sharing with its people.

Bill developed a love for travel during his business career that continued into retirement, and some of his favorite memories beyond the choir’s tours, included going on safaris in the great game reserves of southern Africa, fishing for King Salmon in Alaska, touring China, and walking the Milford Trek in New Zealand.

“Uncle Bill” was a mentor to many people in his business career, a father figure to many later in life, a source of wisdom and experience for others. Many stories of his great generosity are still coming to light. His contagious smile and openness combined with genuine care for other endeared him to many. When he was with you, he was fully present. Groups of businesspeople dealing with weighty issues in their lives welcomed him, and he was never afraid to share his deep faith in God. Many years ago in Mexico, Mr. Kanaga was chairing a meeting with some of the top partners in Arthur Young, and they were dealing with some problems that were causing some disagreement amongst the members. Bill invited a well-known Christian speaker to come talk with the group each morning over breakfast. The gentleman shared a verse from Philippians 4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice!” If one reads verses 4-7, you will understand how hot heads cooled, for when ever discussion became heated again, someone would say “Rejoice in the Lord!” Tension would break and laughter ensued.

A wake will be held at 20 Anchor Drive, Orleans on Friday, July 26, from 3:00-5:00p.m. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Saturday, July 27, at Church of the Transfiguration, Rock Harbor, Orleans. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:

Arts Empowering Life Foundation

P.O. Box 2831

Orleans, MA 02653