Rockport - Regina S. Kane died at home on Friday, February 27 surrounded by her family. She was 79.

A proud New Yorker, Regina was born in Rockland County, raised in Nanuet, and spent summers in Point Lookout, Long Island. She attended Niagara University and graduated in 1968 with a B.S. in nursing. That same year she married William F.X. Kane, a captain in the U.S. Army who had recently returned from Vietnam, and was a fellow Niagara graduate. Together they built a life and a family that took them from New York to Maryland, Kentucky, Michigan and finally to Massachusetts.

For nearly 50 years Regina was a bright light on Cape Ann. As an RN with VNA Care Network, she brought comfort to many families, caring for their loved ones at home and teaching new mothers how to breastfeed and soothe their infants.

She was a fixture in the Catholic faith community, lending her beautiful singing voice to the choir at St. Joachim's, joining in the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, teaching Sunday school, and attending Mass.

Regina's faith practice centered on the needs of the most vulnerable. When the AIDS crisis came to Gloucester in the 1990s, she was one of few nurses who would care for patients infected with the virus. She was vocal in her support for victims of abuse by Catholic clergy, and for a woman's right to make reproductive decisions for herself. For more than a decade she played the organ at Sunday Mass for male inmates at the Middleton Jail and House of Correction. She was deeply committed to the recovery community on Cape Ann, and over the years she helped many of her neighbors struggling with addiction, housing insecurity, loneliness, loss, and mental illness.

Regina experienced life with an artist's sensibility. She took great pleasure in reading novels and memoirs, planning outfits for upcoming events, attending plays and musicals, and visiting New York City. She could pluck treasures from a pile of castoffs at the Swap Shop. A gifted storyteller with a sharp wit, she could conjure a whole scene in a few sentences and fill a room with laughter. She was a wonderful conversation partner—she had the most interesting takes, she could be shockingly honest, and she always wanted to know, what did you think? She found beauty all around her: in the smell of salt air, a mourning dove nesting in the eave of the garage, and just the right shade of blue.

She especially loved being with her family. A devoted grandmother, she had nine stars tattooed on her back, one for each grandchild. She loved to tell people about her nine brothers and sisters, and looked forward to reunions with them in Rhode Island, Maine, Missouri, California, New York, and Florida. Regina is survived by her children, William Kane and his wife Marianne of Marblehead, Eileen Kane of Old Lyme, CT, Margaret Kane and her partner Jeff Cala of Rockport; grandchildren, Natalie Kane, Peter Kane, David Kane, and Tessa Kane of Marblehead, Beatrice Barnett and Mary Kane of Old Lyme, CT, Owen Sears, Marc Sears, and Zin Sears of Rockport; and former son-in-law Alex Barnett. She is also survived by her siblings and in-laws and their spouses, and 37 nieces and nephews. She loved her sisters-in-law, Mary Glynn and Eileen Maher, and her brother-in-law John Kane, who she said always had her back.

In keeping with Regina's wishes, services will be held privately. A celebration for Regina's life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Action, Inc., 180 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Arrangements by Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.

For online condolences please visit www.greelyfuneralhome.com