Marie Grace Reddington Kane
1951 – 2026
Marie Grace Reddington Kane of Yardley, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully on October 9th, 2026 at the age of 74. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Born to the late Martin and Dolores “Jean” Reddington, Marie grew up in Coral Gables, Florida and Dunmore, Pennsylvania. Marie was a graduate of Dunmore High School in 1969 and received a B.A. in Education from Bloomsburg University in 1973. She achieved a Master’s in English Education from Arcadia University in 1995 and a Master’s in Creative Writing from New Hampshire University in 1996.
Marie taught High School English at Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West High Schools for 28 years. In the early days of her teaching career, she was the head coach of the CB East girls’ track team.
Marie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1991, but her strong-willed nature did not let that define her life. In addition to being a teacher, she was an accomplished writer, editor, and poet. She was named Bucks County Poet Laureate in 2006. For several years, she was the Poetry Editor for Pentimento magazine and final judge for scholastic Sarah Mook poetry contest for students (grades K-12). She published two poetry chapbooks, Survivors in the Garden and Persephone’s Truth and two full-length poetry books, Beauty, You Drive a Hard Bargain and Switchgrass.
Marie is survived by her three devoted children, Elizabeth (Stephen) Kane, Sarah (Steven) Pratta, and Thomas (Jessica) Kane, two beloved grandsons, Lucas and Austin, two stepchildren, Anna (Jeff) Ravasio and Philip (Melissa) Millner and their four children, and her former husband, Thomas Kane. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her loving husband, Stephen James Millner and dear brother, Martin L. Reddington.
Funeral services are Wednesday, October 14 at 12pm at Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ. There will be a visitation at the funeral home prior to the service from 11am – 12pm. Burial will follow at Fountain Lawn Memorial Park in Ewing, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give
There is so much about Marie to remember and celebrate – I will name her generous inclusivity and her brilliant, sincere smile. A story I’ll share – I had not known Marie long when I learned that I had developed a large bone cyst in my ankle and needed a surgery that involved bone graft. I had never had surgery before and was terribly anxious. Marie sent me a letter that was so comforting and encouraging that I printed it out to take to the hospital to bolster my courage. And then there’s the hundreds of ways she helped me write and revise poems. I will miss her, but will also draw on her bright presence ’til we meet again
Sarah, Lib and Tommy.
So sad to hear about your Mom.
May she rest in peace.
Love,
Julie Stryker Santiago
A beautiful woman A wonderful mother. A poet and friend. I think of Marie often as she will be missed by so many Herb S.
I am so sorry to hear of Mrs. Kane’s passing- I was in her 2004 yearlong honors English class at CB West, one of her final years of teaching I believe. We kept in touch and I attended some of her poetry readings. Ironically, my class just had our 20th year reunion and I was reminiscing about her and that class; she truly instilled such a love of reading and writing in everyone. We loved hearing hilarious stories of THE Tommy Kane- it was so obvious she was so proud of all her kids. I know how much she will be missed, 20+ years later I’ve never forgotten her and absolutely never will. I’m thinking of you all!
Your mother was a woman of true grit whom I admired greatly. Her determination not to be diminished or defined by her MS was an act that humbled anyone with whom she came in contact. I will always remember a conversation I had with her one day after school. She had had a particularly difficult day. The principal was particularly unkind to her that day, and her MS was flaring … I said to her that maybe it was time to resign. I bluntly said to her that the reality was she was only going to get so many more good days…That stress made the MS worse and maybe she should just enjoy her time with Steve and her children and her poetry. She told me she couldn’t do that. That was letting the MS win and she would never let that happen! Such strength of character was a sight to behold!
You have every right to be proud of her kindness, her integrity, her wit and humor, and her profound writing talent.
I will always be proud that I got to call her friend!
If I didn’t live in SC. I would be there in person to tell you these things!
As an aside, ironically your mom was on my mind all last week. I even tried googling her to see if I could find any current news. “ There are more things in heaven and earth”
Sending love and prayers
Teaching with Marie was truly a gift. She always had a smile on her face and could brighten anyone’s day. When I started teaching at West, she immediately made me feel welcome, and I always looked forward to catching up with her. Her strength and resilience were remarkable, and she faced life’s challenges with grace. I am so sorry for your loss. She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her. Heaven has gained another angel.
I have known your Mom since we were kids, went to school together and enjoyed good times with your uncle Marty and Grandma over the years. She was always full of life, smart and compassionate, and yes, that smile. We shared our MS concerns and acknowledged the progress they are making to help patients deal with their symptoms. She was a fighter and loved by so many. Thank you for sharing her with us, and now she is at rest.
God Bless you all
I wanted to leave a nice memory I have of Marie. I really liked talking with her at family events. Years ago when I first met her I remember her asking me, “Jimmy, tell me what’s your favorite book ?” We were talking about some things she was writing & stuff. So, I said, its “Where the Red Fern Grows” Fast forward to around 2011/2012 she said at another family event, I heard about the 2 puppies you got on Christmas! I said yeah, she smiled & said Jimmy, Where the Red Fern Grows! I said you remembered. She was always a pleasure to talk to. She will be missed.
God Bless.
Jimmy