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Anne S. Kirsch
Anne S. Kirsch of Westhampton Beach died peacefully on September 23. She was 93.
She was born on March 27, 1932, in Brooklyn to Herbert and Freda Schwartz. She was a lifelong resident of Westhampton Beach, where she lived with her husband of 37 years, Charles Kirsch, before his death. Together they raised their four children, Jeff, David, Pam and Ned, immersing themselves into the community.
She attended Cherry Lawn School in Connecticut when she was younger, before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University, where she was fondly known as “Nikki.” She completed her first master’s degree at Columbia University Teacher’s College, and then years later completed a second master’s degree in library science at CW Post University. She was a medical librarian at both Central Suffolk Hospital (now Peconic Bay Medical Center) and Southampton Hospital for over 20 years.
She was always actively involved in her community, volunteering over the years with Scouting, Rotary International (of which she was a Paul Harris Fellow award recipient), the Westhampton Beach Free Library, the Westhampton Historical Society and as an usher at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, along with additional organizations. She was also a long-time member of the Jewish Center of the Moriches.
Kirsch was a founding member of the Westhampton Beach Nursery School (Kiddie Korner), a firm believer in sharing her home with others, hosting Rotary exchange students and supporting inner city children through the Fresh Air Fund. She was a progressive participant in national and local politics, standing firm on her beliefs of women’s rights and freedoms for those around her.
She and her husband were owners of Schwartz’s Department Store, having followed in the paths of her parents. The store was a pillar on Main Street for 50 years. Together, they established ACRE Management and were actively involved in real estate, both in Westhampton and Vermont. She loved Vermont and thoroughly enjoyed restoring her home that was on the National Historic Registry. She immersed herself in the local community in South Royalton, Vermont, and the Vermont Law School.
Kirsch shared many interests with her family and friends, and was passionate about the arts, travel, gardening, baking and quilting, but her greatest devotion was to her family. She was the ultimate matriarch spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her joy was overwhelming when she was with them, forever encouraging them to pursue their interests and further their education and experiences. She was fiercely independent, her family said, a beautiful soul with a heartwarming smile and infectious laugh and will be greatly missed by all those that loved her.
She was predeceased by her husband, Charles Kirsch; her sons, Jeff and Ned Kirsch; and her daughter-in-law, Nancy Brace Kirsch. She is survived by her son David (Joan) Kirsch of Essex, Connecticut; her daughter, Pam (Mike) Magnan of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; her daughter-in-law, Coree Kirsch of Essex, Vermont;, seven grandchildren, D.J. and Riley(Alex) Kirsch, Jacob (Lauren), Molly and Sam Magnan, Abby and Colby Kirsch; and three great-grandchildren, Chloe and Charlie Magnan and Charlotte Kirsch.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Anne Kirsch’s name can be made to the Westhampton Beach Historical Society (whbhistorical.org) or East End Hospice (eeh.org).
Staff Writer on Sep 29, 2025