Virginia Mahurin Kane

Virginia Mahurin Kane, 91, died peacefully in her home on January 18, 2014 in the company of family and friends. Virginia was born May 3, 1922 in San Diego California to Ruth and James Mahurin. She was an only child. They were a Navy family and moved frequently up and down the California coast, to Guam, Pearl Harbor, and Hawaii as she was growing up.
Virginia was valedictorian of Kelseyville Union High School in 1939 and received a scholarship to Stanford University, California. She attended one year before transferring to Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was at Antioch where she met her husband to be, Thomas L. Kane IV. She graduated with a BA in Economics and Statistics. Virginia moved to New York City after graduation and was employed as a researcher for a private firm and later worked in a major bookstore chain until Thomas returned from the war overseas and they married in June 1944.
Once married the couple moved to Dover, Ohio. Virginia worked at the Dover Library until she became a full time mother and homemaker. After she stopped working for pay at the Dover Library, she served as treasurer of the Dover Library Board and helped with the fund raising campaign to build the existing building for the library.
Virginia was a past president of the Tuscarawas Valley Branch of the America Association of University Women. Through the efforts of this group and the local chamber of commerce, the Tuscarawas Campus of Kent State was established locally. She was also a founding board member of an organization called First Call for Help now renamed United Health Foundation; founding member and secretary of the Tuscarawas County Council for Church and Community for seven years; board member and volunteer for Mobile Meals; chairperson and member of the Advisory Board of the County Department of Human Services and served on the advisory boards of the county health department and the Tuscarawas Campus of Kent State University.
As a member of the First United Methodist Church of Dover Virginia has served on and chaired many committees. She also served on the Cambridge District Council on Ministries and was secretary of the Committee on Ordained Ministry, and a member of the Church and Society Board of the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Virginia, together with her husband, Tom, was a founder and member of Citizens for Human Concerns in 1968, an interracial group formed at the time of the Hough race riots in Cleveland to work on jobs, housing, and education locally. She also helped to organize a Dover ecumenical group that shared their religious beliefs and attend each other's religious service. She was also a member of Citizens for Global Concerns which worked on peace issues for many years.
As she matured, Virginia became more involved with the local Senior Center and was employed for nine years as an outreach visitor beginning in 1978. Following retirement she became an active member of the County Committee of Aging serving as vice president and volunteer chairperson of the organization. She trained as a credit and tax counselor for the extension service and did annual tax assistance for the elderly and income eligible individuals for 20 years. She received Outstanding Volunteer award in 2001 and an appreciation and Dedication to Senior Center 1979-2005 Certificate. She was on the committee to campaign for building a new Senior Center and was very pleased and proud to have been a part of the new Senior Center building.
Virginia would always comment that she loved meeting people all around the county and was happy to help where ever she could. Throughout her lifetime her other passions, beyond her family, were cooking, baking, gardening, line dancing, tai chi, and fabric related handicrafts. She was preceded In death by her best friend and husband of 68 years, Thomas L. Kane IV who passed away July 3, 2012. She is survived by two daughters, Alexis Patricia Kane of Richmond, California; and Constance R. Kane of Decatur, Alabama; three grandchildren: Lauren Elizabeth Kane of Portland, Oregon; Shea Kane Griffin and Timothy Kane Griffin (m Amber); and one great grandchild, William Kane Griffin all of Decatur, Alabama. Also surviving her are three sisters-in-law: Carol Kane Simmerly, Anne Kane (m Russell Feldman) and Elizabeth Kane Briggs (m Darell) and their children.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 25 at 11:00 am in the First United Methodist Church at Dover with Rev. David Kowaleski officiating. Following the service, a luncheon will be held in the church social hall. Friends can call at the church one hour prior to the service on Saturday. The Toland-Herzig Funeral Home and Crematory at Dover is handling arrangements. Those wishing to express their fondest memories of Virginia may do so by visiting the on line obituaries and flowers link on the funeral homes website.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Senior Center, T4C or the charity of one's choice.