Carol Ann Kann

Carol Ann Kann To our dear Mother and Grammy, Your adventure began in Pittsburgh on August 19, 1936 as the second of three girls born to William and Sara Sangl. Despite the cultural norms of the time, your curiosity and independent spirit led you on a solo journey across Europe for nearly a year just after you graduated from St. Lawrence School. You returned home and earned a nursing degree from the Saint Francis School of Nursing, which you used to provide care to the community for several years before starting a family of your own. With the birth of your three children and 11 grandchildren, you fully embraced the role of loving mother and grandmother. But all the while you never lost your adventurous spirit and continued to explore the world. In youth you traveled for novelty and excitement, but as a mother you also traveled to enrich the lives of others; across all seven continents, and most countries therein, you amassed countless treasures, stories, and lessons so that you could bring them home and share them with us. You saw as much of this world as any one human could, and you imparted the best of it to us. You instilled in us the importance of lifelong learning, exemplified by your daily reading of four newspapers, your schedule full of lecture series at the universities and Heinz Hall, your nightly Jeopardy challenges, and your countless trips to the Carnegie museums, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Phipps Conservatory with your grandchildren. Your home was filled with mementos from around the world, and you made sure we knew the origin of each and the importance of all the cultures they represented. You taught us the importance of charity through the generous use of your time and resources. No request for help that reached you ever went unanswered. You emphasized the value, sanctity, and beauty of all living creatures, with a particular fondness for dogs. Your home was always filled with flowers, whether grown in your backyard, or rescued roadside by your "nippers". You exemplified the importance of lifelong friendship and engagement through your weekly bridge games, which spanned over fifty years. You always enjoyed sharing the great arts of our city, be they symphonies, plays, ballet, or musicals, with your close friends. Most importantly, you shaped us through your love of family. You never missed a grandchild's birthday, school play, or any event; every grandchild's request whether swimming, cooking, card games, puzzles, dominoes, or trips to the zoo, science center, or park… was always answered with an enthusiastic yes. You inspired endless delight with tea parties, dinosaur battles, or crawling on hands and knees through pillow forts. Your laughter, boundless energy, and sense of humor will echo in our minds daily. We thank you for your unconditional love and support through life's gifts and challenges. After your life of adventure and laughter, you left us gently on February 7, 2025. Through your worldly experience and maternal care, you helped us understand both our place on this Earth and how to navigate its uncertainties. You experienced and truly appreciated all this world has to offer, from foreign capitals to the intricate beauty of a backyard flower. And all the while, you always had in mind the delight that would come from sharing those experiences with others. With love, Your children Steven, Jeffrey, and Linda and your grandchildren Peter, Rachel, Lauren, Elizabeth, Cooper, Michael, Margot, Kirsten, Matthew, Jeffrey, and Tommy.

Carol Ann Kann

August 19, 1936 - February 7, 2025