Margaret Ellen Kane Obituary.
Published by Johnson Funeral Home, North
Berwick, Me. Known for her wit, her passion for lung health, and her
civic activity.
Margaret E. Kane, 75, of Barrington, RI, passed away
peacefully on Thursday, June 8, 2023 after a long illness following a
stroke in June last year.
Born in Hornell, NY, she grew up in upstate
New York and Bradenton, Florida. After graduation from Florida State
University she moved to Rhode Island and taught briefly in North Attleboro.
Then her long career with the American Lung Association in Rhode Island
(through various organizational name changes) culminated as Executive
Director. Proud of her fight for healthy lungs, she helped hundreds of
Rhode Islanders quit smoking, and helped get the laws passed for smokefree
schools and public places. Also active with the American Lung Association
nationally, she was a Past President of the Congress of Lung Association
Staff (CLAS). She also was very involved with supporting health education
in Rhode Island schools and public health awareness and advocacy.
Her
wit and sense of humor livened up her civic activities. She was very active
in Providence Rotary and the Providence Rotary Charities Foundation.
Margaret served as President of Operation Clean Government and was an
alumna of Leadership Rhode Island.
In Barrington she could often be
found eating, greeting friends, and cracking jokes at a variety of local
eateries. She was a member of the Republican Town Committee and in 2008 ran
for State Representative with her motto "Kane is Able." Her door knocking
campaign helped her identify issues of concern to town residents and she
later served as Chairperson of the Barrington Senior Services Advisory
Board. For several years she was involved with East Bay real estate
firms.
She much enjoyed spending time on Sanibel Island, Florida
(especially shelling) and in Ogunquit and Wells, Maine with her dear
housemate of 47 years, the late Jean MacCorison. (Originally from North
Berwick, Maine)
Other things she was particularly proud of included
participating in Girl Scouts through Senior Scouting and national Roundup,
building houses with her dad, and her athletic career at Florida State. It
took many years, but she and her teammates on the 1969 Track and Field team
finally got their certificates as members of the first FSU women's team to
be All-Americans.
She was predeceased by her parents James T. "Ted" and
Louise Belle (Gow) Kane and her brother James W. "Jimmy" Kane. She is
survived by her cousin Christina Caferelli and family on Long Island, NY,
her extensive adopted family in the United Kingdom including Jan Long and
her beloved goddaughter Annie Webb, and a multitude of friends locally and
around the U.S. and the world. Molly Clark of Providence was with her at
the end.
