Mary Kirkwood Van Loan
Dec 18, 1934-Sept 30, 2020.
Mary Kirkwood Van Loan, age 85, passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, September 30, 2020, with her daughter Lynn and granddaughter Bo Yun by her side. Born December 18, 1934, in Mitchell, South Dakota, Mary was the daughter of Robert Campbell Kirkwood and Virginia Bates Kirkwood and sister of Robert Campbell Kirkwood, Jr. Since her father moved often as he pursued his career at F.W. Woolworth, Mary lived in more than thirty homes before settling in Greenwich, Connecticut, to raise her own family.
She attended House In The Pines school in Norton, Massachusetts, before receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College. While in college she was blessed by Pope Pious XXII. After graduation, Mary taught at the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, before moving to Connecticut to teach at Andrew Warde High School and Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield. She married Richard Van Loan, a stockbroker with Kidder, Peabody in New York City. During their 18-year marriage they had three children: Rich Van Loan of Boston, Massachusetts and Scottsdale, Arizona; Lynn Brainerd of Branford, CT; and Bob Van Loan of Fairfield, CT.
Mary’s career as a personal financial advisor was pioneering not only because she was a woman in that field, but also because financial planning was in its infancy. In addition to working as a personal financial planner at Putnam Trust and Union Trust banks, Mary started her own financial planning firm and became President of the Westchester/Rockland/Fairfield Society of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners. Her professional affiliations included the lower Fairfield Estate Planning Council, Financial Women International, and the International Association of Financial Planners. She also published several articles on financial subjects.
As a volunteer, Mary was actively involved with several community organizations including Greenwich and Stamford YWCAs, where she was a recipient of the Brava Award honoring women who are committed to philanthropy and community service. Brava honorees demonstrate a special combination of outstanding professional accomplishment, mentoring others-especially women--and caring for the community. She was also actively involved in Greenwich Continuing Education and the Greenwich Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
After retiring from her career as a Certified Financial Planner, Mary moved to Cape Cod to be with Jane Seward Pomeroy, whom she had known since high school. For 18 years, Mary’s natural curiosity and sense of adventure had them, among other things, travelling cross-country in a Winnebago, volunteering at the Jacob Sears Library, and hosting countless neighborhood parties, holiday celebrations, and school reunions.
Perhaps most of all, Mary will be remembered for creating relationships that made people feel special. She was “like a second mother” to many of her friends’ children, and she made them comfortable enough that they could talk with her about anything.
Mary is survived by her children, Rich Van Loan and his partner Ed Juel, her daughter Lynn Brainerd and husband Stuart and their children Lucas and Bo Yun, and son Bob and his wife Ellen and their two sons Ethan and Nicholas. She is also survived by nephew Robert “Cam” Kirkwood III and niece Kimberly Kirkwood Roberts. Mary and her family are also grateful for neighbor Bruce Benvie, who provided them with the comfort of knowing he was always available to lend a hand.
Due to Covid-19, a celebration of life will be held at a date and time to be determined later.
In lieu of flowers, Mary would love it if you would take a minute—right now—to let your family know how much you love them. She regularly told her own family she loved them, and that is her greatest legacy of all.