Longtime Falls Church resident John J (Jack) Kane, a career scientist at the Office of Naval Research, passed away May 31 at the age of 88. He lived most recently in Richmond.
He was preceded in death by his son Robert Kane in 1974 at the age of 21. He is survived by Rose Mary, his wife of 65 years; one daughter, Ellen Kroese of The Hague, Netherlands; four sons, John J and Joseph P., both of Virginia Beach, Michael C. of Lexington Park, Md. and Thomas C. of Richmond; one sister, Mary Fitzpatrick of Norwood, Pa.; and 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
From 1951 to 1981, Kane worked on deep ocean acoustic research and was the primary champion of long range Over-the-Horizon radars. These radars, deployed in Virginia, Alaska, and Northern Australia, formed a critical leg in the Cold War era Early Warning Systems.
He continued to support the Navy as a science advisor for SRI International after retirement. Before working at the Office of Naval Research, he worked at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. While there, he worked on atomic weapons effects at the Nevada Test Site, Bikini and Enewetak Atolls.
He retired in 1981 with more than 37 years of Government Service. His Naval service started in 1943, after he graduated from LaSalle University with a degree in chemistry. He was commissioned in the United Sates Navy at Newport, RI in 1943 and served in the Pacific Theatre. He was initially assigned to the USS Franklin (CV13) and then transferred to the USS Massachusetts (BB59). He moved to Falls Church in 1953. From 1955 to 1967, he was active in the Falls Church Western American Little League as both a manager and umpire. He spent most of his retirement planning annual family reunions at Bethany Beach, Del.
The family will receive friends at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 4491 Springfield Road, Glen Allen, Va. from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 5, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Friday. Graveside services will be held 12:30 p.m., Saturday, June 6, at Oakwood Cemetery, Falls Church, Va. In lieu of flowers, send memorial contributions to: Msgr. Richard Albert, c/o St. Patrick’s Foundation, 221 S. State Road 7, MB#3816, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. 33317 (www.blileys.com)
