Mary Thomason Kane

Mary Thomason Ward Kane passed away on October 9, 2008 at the age of 97 after a long and fulfilling life. Born in Belton, Texas, she grew up in Laredo, Texas with her parents and sister Margaret. Her father was a well-known physician and her mother was a school teacher in Laredo. Mary became a primary school teacher in Texas before moving to Southern California in the 1930’s where she met and married George R. Kane, a newspaper man. They had two daughters, Alexandra and Sara, in Los Angeles before moving to Sunnyvale after WWII, where George was editor of the Sunnyvale Standard newspaper. In 1948 they moved to an old Victorian house on Fifth Street, Gilroy, where they spent many happy years. George served as publisher of the Gilroy Dispatch fom 1948 before moving to Los Gatos in 1956 as publisher of the Los Gatos Times-Observer. After retirement in 1977, they moved to Santa Cruz, where they had maintained a beach house since the early 1960’s. Mary and George traveled extensively in Europe, regularly visited museums in San Francisco and abroad, attended rare book and fine printing events and enjoyed many adventures together and with friends after retirement. Mary always loved to garden and was involved in the Friends of the UC Arboretum and the Women’s Club at UC Santa Cruz. Mary will be remembered for being warm, gracious and elegant, with always the perfect thing to say to put everyone at ease. In addition to being a wonderful hostess, an avid gardener, excellent cook and talented artist, she and George remodeled their houses in Gilroy and Los Gatos, along with their Santa Cruz house, filling them with antiques and books. She loved taking excursions with her granddaughter to Oregon and Northern California – especially to see wildflowers in the spring. She is survived by her husband of almost 70 years, George R. Kane of Santa Cruz, daughter Alexandra Kane of Carmel, daughter Sara Kane and son-in-law John Roberts of Santa Cruz, granddaughter Gillian Hunter of Edinburgh Scotland and her husband Rory. She also leaves one great-grandson and several nieces and nephews. A private celebration of her life will occur in the future. Contributions in her memory to the UCSC Arboretum, care of the UCSC Foundation at 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 would be appreciated.