Virg inia Beach —Joanne Lee Eisenberg Kagan, 69, our beloved wife, mother, and Mimi, passed away on October 23, 2018, after a courageous and determined fight against lung cancer at Sentara Virginia
Beach General Hospital.
Joanne is survived by her husband, Harvey Jay Kagan, MD. She is also survived by her daughter, Amy, and her husband Edmond, and their two children, Eli and Austin (8 and 6). Joanne is also survived by her son, Michael and his wife Paola, and their one-year-old daughter Evelyn, who
was named for Joanne’s mother. She is also survived by her sister Marcy, and her husband Bruce, as well as her brother Jeffery, and his wife Tammy.
Joanne was born on October 27, 1948 in Norfolk to Irving and Evelyn Eisenberg. She grew up in Norfolk and attended Granby High School. Joanne went to Beaver College (now Arcadia College) in
Pennsylvania where she received a Bachelor of Science in Education. She attended George Washington University where she earned a Masters in Special Education. She soon began teaching first grade at Overlook Elementary School in Oxen Hill, Maryland. It was during this time that
she met her future husband, Harvey, after living in the same apartment building in Arlington, Va. They were married for 44 amazingly beautiful and loving years. They were rarely apart and filled their home with love and friendship. Harvey stayed by her side throughout her entire battle with cancer. They were a team.
Joanne moved to Virginia Beach and began teaching preschool and kindergarten at Baylake Pines School. During this time, she developed the Reading Resource Program to help students with reading
struggles and academic difficulties. She taught at Baylake Pines for 24 years. Joanne was frequently contacted by her previous students throughout their college years and they consistently expressed gratitude and appreciation for all her help as their resource teacher. Joanne retired in 2005. She spent her time knitting beautiful scarves and ponchos and blankets with her weekly knitting circle, sitting on the porch doing crossword puzzles and listening to the waves, and riding her bike with Harvey near the beach. She was a beach girl to the very end. Those who encountered Joanne were always struck by her kindness, warmth, and friendliness. Her smile instantly made people love her and her laughter was contagious.
Above everything, Joanne adored her family. She was a role model and selfless as a mom and instilled wisdom, love, safety, and confidence in her children and their close friends. She was everyone’s cheerleader and to know Joanne Kagan was to feel proud of yourself. Joanne adored her role as Mimi and looked forward to weekend travels to Fairfax and Brooklyn to see her grandchildren. Any moment that she spent with her grandchildren was filled with happiness and absolute fun. There was so much more fun to be had.
Our world will never be the same without our beloved Joanne. Her time with us was over much too soon. We will press on with the same courage and determination that she showed in the face of cancer.
Donations to Virginia Beach General Hospital or the new Sentara Cancer Center that is being built in Norfolk. A memorial service took place at H.D. Oliver Funeral Laskin Road Chapel. Joanne wished to be cremated and have her ashes scattered into her ocean. She had such a joy of the beach and the ocean near her home will be her final resting place. We will miss her, but we will carry on her traditions through the love that she taught us. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.