Barbara Claire Kane

On June 14, 2020, Barbara Claire Kane, effervescent and creatively talented, passed away at the age of 86. 

Barb lived an adventurous life in many cities throughout the country. As a child she moved with her family to Seattle, WA. In her twenties, she worked at an insurance company, had three children, and became an interior designer. In her forties, she moved to Portland, OR, to pursue more specific interior design work. Ten years later, she and her husband Gar moved to Palm Springs, CA, so Gar could enjoy a golfing retirement and she could pursue her dream of opening a design studio. Later, Barb moved across the country to Pennsylvania to be closer to her young grandchildren. 

Barb loved life, and enthusiastically embraced meeting new people and engaging herself in many varied activities. She was exceptionally talented with textiles and crafts. She had a keen eye, and was able to marry high quality with a wide range of creative mediums, including clothing, furniture, and painting. She also excelled at other art forms like writing, pottery, interior design, and so much more. Barb’s third appendage was her sewing machine! Her work room was meticulously organized with dozens of bins and drawers filled with buttons, threads, needles, sewing machines, fabric, etc. – and all color coordinated. She could make anything and often without a pattern or instructions: quilts, draperies, upholstery, doll houses and doll furniture, Halloween and theatrical costumes, and wedding dresses. Barb made costumes for the drama department at the local high school in Beaverton, OR. She made sails for a friend’s Swiftsure International Yacht Race Entry. For family reunions and gatherings, she lovingly-made hand crafted mementos for each attendee of her large extended family. 

She volunteered for many years at the Cerebral Palsy Association in Seattle. She also took up golfing and became an avid fan of the sport. A much-coveted hole-in-one was a great source of pride for her. In Palm Springs, she would volunteer at PGA tournaments and local charity golf events.   

She and her long-time partner Earl attended regular auctions throughout the northeast. They enjoyed driving the many beautiful country roads together, while sampling homemade pies at mom and pop diners. Earl was fond of saying, “Barbara never met a stranger that wasn’t an immediate friend!” 

Barb loved her family and was proud of her Norwegian heritage.

In her final nine years of life she was lovingly cared for by a special group of talented and caring nursing professionals at The Village at Morrison’s Cove memory care center in south central Pennsylvania.

Barb is survived by her son Stacy Anderson, Shoreline, WA; daughter Wendy Jones, Bothell, WA; and two grandchildren, Ben Jones, Brooklyn, NY; and Anderson Jones, Stavanger, Norway.

She is also survived by her siblings, Joseph and Sharon Weckerly; Joan Schmidt; and Leslie and Lawrence Bates; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her son, Duane Anderson, Everett, WA; her partner, Earl Mallory, Altoona, PA; her spouse, Garson L. Kane, Palm Springs, CA; her parents Katherine and Gordon Weckerly, Mt. Vernon, WA; her grandparents, and two siblings, Carol Shockley and Thomas Weckerly. 

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please honor Barb’s memory by giving to your local hospice organization, local nursing or certified nursing assistant program, or to an academic nursing scholarship program to help benefit an aspiring nurse.

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