Anthony Joseph Kane was born to Coleman and Sarah (Norton) Keane in South Boston on 13 June 1923. At the onset of the Great Depression, the family moved back to Ireland and settled in Carraroe, County Galway. Anthony lived a challenging life as the oldest of eight children. He was a fluent gaelic speaker and throughout his life enjoyed listening to the music of Ireland. He served in the Irish Home Guard during WWII. After saving enough for his passage back to Boston, he returned in 1948 and was drafted into the US Army within six months of his arrival. After serving for a year, he was discharged and returned to civilian life, however, he was subsequently recalled and sent to Korea as a trained Medic. While there, he was wounded by shrapnel on 14 February 1951 and awarded a Purple Heart. Upon returning to Boston, he worked briefly for the Boston Gas and then for many years tended bar at Brannelly’s in Roslindale, where he was known as Joe (since someone named “Tony” couldn’t work in a Boston Irish bar!). During this time, he met the love of his life, Anne Faherty, at the Irish Social Club in Roxbury and they married on 20 January 1952 at St Mary’s in Dedham. In the early 1960’s he joined the Brighton Marine Hospital and served as the Foreman of the hospital laundry until its closure in the early 1980‘s. After getting married, Anthony and Anne started out on Corona St. in Dorchester and he bought his first home, a triple-decker, on Homes Ave. In the late 1960’s, he moved one street over to Holiday St., where they remained until the late 1970’s. Anthony was committed to his family and always focused on education and a strong work ethic. He was good with his hands and took care of all of the electrical, plumbing and carpentry work around the house as well as for friends and family. He was generous with his time and was always willing to lend a hand to a friend.
In 1976 he and Anne bought a retirement home in South Yarmouth, where they spent from Spring through Fall of each year until 2014. While there, he worked for many years at Pirate’s Cove, where he did a little bit of everything from carpentry to running the cash register. He was very popular with the summer staff, who all knew him as “Tony”. Around the late 70’s, they also began to winter in Florida and by the mid 80’s purchased a condo in Hobe Sound, FL. They enjoyed their winters in Florida and continued to travel back and forth until 2014.
Anthony loved so many things in life such as family gatherings, outings to the beach, and travel. He enjoyed his daily, early morning walks and often covered several miles. When the family was younger, he took them camping every summer from Northern Maine to Washington D.C. and loads of places in between. He was quick with a joke and had a wry sense of humor that endeared him to all who met him.
He passed on 7 December 2015 and will be dearly missed.
His Funeral will be held from the P.E. Murray-F.J. Higgins, George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 2000 Centre St., West Roxbury, on Friday, Dec. 11 at 10am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Mary Church, Dedham at 11am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Visiting hours will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 4-8pm. Interment will be in The Gardens at Gethsemane, West Roxbury. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Anthony’s memory to Ethos, 555 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 or ethocare.org.