Rest in peace, Bob Kahane

Annandale Today and the Taste of Annandale planning committee mourn the loss of our friend Robert “Bob” Kahane.

Bob died on Feb. 18 after a lengthy battle with health issues.

He was one of the founding members of the Annandale-Mason Roundtable and, as the former chair of the Taste of Annandale Planning Committee, ensured the festival’s success.

The 2023 Taste of Annandale will go on as scheduled, on April 29. The planning team has several new members who are building on the work done by Bob.

Bob was born on Feb. 14, 1946, in Manhattan and grew up in Queens. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.

“Although he spent most of his life in Virginia, he always considered himself a New Yorker,” says his wife, Anna Louise.

Bob enjoyed a lengthy career in the defense industry, where he worked in both the public and private sectors.

After he retired, in 2012, he immersed himself in meaningful activities, including community engagement and woodturning.

Bob was an active member of the Annandale Rotary Club and served as the club’s president for four years.

He was named a Community Champion for Mason District in April 2021 for his work on the Taste of Annandale.

One of Bob’s major passions was woodturning. He was a member of the Capital Area Woodturners, and some of his pieces were exhibited at the Artisans United Craft Gallery in Annandale.

As his equipment filled their garage, Anna Louise says, “he found joy in his creations and the gifts they became to many.”

When Bob and Louise married in 1985, it brought two families together into a loving extended family.

In recent years, Bob and Anna Louise enjoyed many driving trips together in Europe, especially Italy.

In addition to his wife, Bob is survived by his daughter Michelle, stepson Jeff, and grandsons Evan, Brett, Wyatt, and Carson.

“His boundless energy, humor, and love will be missed by family and friends,” Anna Louise says.

Donations can be made in Bob’s memory to the Rotary Club of Annandale (P.O. Box 143, Annandale VA, 22003) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

A funeral will be held on March 1, 12 p.m., at the Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, at 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax, and will be followed by a burial at Fairfax Memorial Park at the same location. A celebration of life will be held immediately afterward at the International Country Club, 13200 Lee Jackson Highway in Fairfax.