William John Kane

Mr. William John Kane, 73 a resident of the Presbyterian Home for CNY, New Hartford, formerly of Yorkville, entered into the loving arms of the Lord, on Sunday, October 3, 2021 with his loving sisters by his side. William was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, on May 2, 1948, the son of John V. and Agnes (Pfeiffer) Kane and was affectionately called Howdy Doody as a child and later in life, as Uncle Buck to his nieces and nephews. He was raised in Utica, and was a graduate Whitesboro High School. Bill was a member of the Whitesboro High School football team, where he received the nickname, Killer Kane by coach Chez Frye. He continued his education at Herkimer County Community College earning an associate’s degree. Bill later attended SUNY Oswego, graduated Valedictorian from Marcy School of Nursing and earned his BSN from SUNY IT. Bill honorably served in the US Marine Corps, having bravely fought in the Battle of Khe Sanh during the Vietnam War, for which he was the recipient of numerous medals and citations. On August 18, 1973, Bill was united in marriage with Joan S. Zwijacz at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Whitesboro, a loving and devoted union of 48 years, until Joan recent passing in August. At one time, Bill was employed as a RN with Rome City Hospital and later at Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare, where he proudly earned his Certification in Critical Care Nursing and worked tirelessly in the ICU there. Bill was a devout Catholic, and parishioner of St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church in Utica, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister. He had a great devotion to the Divine Mercy and was a member of the Perpetual Adoration Society. Bill was an avid cyclist, having participated in the (100 mile) Century Ride and MS Bike Ride, a running enthusiast, having run numerous Boiler Maker Road Races and prior to his MS diagnosis, was training for the Marine Corps Marathon. and loved cross country skiing with his sisters and especially his dog, KC. Bill was also a minor league baseball coach in Whitesboro, a founding member of VFW post 6001 in Yorkville, enjoyed gardening, fishing, hunting and his love of animals was evident by the many wiggle waggle walkathons he took part in. He will be remembered as an excellent cook of all types of ethnic foods, a handyman and skilled carpenter who could build or fix anything and enjoyed sharing his canning treats with his family. Bill and his beloved Joan were faithful NY Yankees fans, who never missed watching a game together, both at their home in Yorkville and at the Presbyterian Home, as well being a huge Green Bay Packers Fan. Mr. Kane is survived by his four loving sisters, Mary Kane of Whitesboro, Kathleen Kane of Whitesboro, Suzanne (Henry) Ng of CA and Aggie (William, Jr.) Barry of NY Mills; two brothers, Dr. Robert (Susan) Kane of PA and John Kane of CA; his cherished nieces and nephews, John (Kimberly) Zwijacz, Amanda Kane Baxter, Elizabeth Kane (Benjamin) McGarry, William (Veronica, Esq) Barry, III, Esq, Jillian Ng (Eric) Meisenbach, Maureen Barry, Esq, Danika Ng, Connor Ng, and Kathleen Ng; adored great nieces and nephews, Jaden and Emma Zwijacz and Addison, Colleen, William, IV and Patrick Barry and dear friends, Hector Vasquez, Esq and his “Canadian sister” Penny Fedorus. He was predeceased by his parents, John and Agnes, In-laws, John and Jessie Zwijacz; and special friends, Emery “Chick” Csikesz and Mike Mahar. Mr. Kane’s funeral will be held on Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church Utica, where his Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated. His Rite of Committal and burial, with military honors, will be in St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir Cemetery in Whitesboro. Visitation for family and friends is Saturday, October 9th from 9:30-10:30 at the Heintz Funeral Home, 1517 Whitesboro St., Utica, prior to leaving for Church. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Mother Marianne’s West Side Kitchen, 702 Columbia St., Utica, NY 13502 or the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 in William’s memory. Mr. Kane’s family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of the Presbyterian Home, Maple/Trenton Unit, for the loving care and compassion you provided to Bill, as well as the dedicated members of the Yorkville Fire Department, for the many years of service you provided to him. A special thank you to Bill and Mary Lou Barry, for the many years of friendship you shared and assistance you proved to Bill.