Mina Ellen Cory Kahofer of Wainscott Dies July 21

Mina Ellen Cory Kahofer of Wainscott died at home on July 21. She was 90.

She was born June 14, 1934, Flag Day, so it’s no wonder that democratic and socialist ideals were central to her way of life. She was raised in Brooklyn, and from age 7 on her summers were spent at Southampton Shores.

She was educated at Packer Collegiate Institute, then Westminster College. Her foray into the working world landed her at the dawn of television, as executive assistant to Steve Allen, whose NBC show originated the format of late night talk shows still followed today. She had plans to move with the show to California, but fate intervened when she met Kurt. They settled in New York and started a family in 1959.

While raising five children, she volunteered her time for many years on the alumni board at Packer. Then when her youngest began school, she went back to work full-time, as executive assistant for Community Church in Jackson Heights, which held services in three languages, had a day care center, and served the homeless. She was integral to that community for 23 years.

After raising her family in Queens and Southampton, Mina and Kurt moved to Wainscott in 1994. She loved being at the ocean, hosted many fun gatherings, adored watching birds, squirrels, rabbits and deer from her deck. And she found a new volunteer passion, walking and socializing the dogs at ARF, often twice a day, six days per week. Her energy knew no bounds, her family said. She arranged numerous adoptions for her family of dog lovers and adopted two of her own.

Some of her other passions included travel, classic to current movies, opera, theater, church hymns and gospel, the New York City Ballet (Fourth Ring Society member), New York Philharmonic, Barbra Streisand, and, for decades, she rarely missed Jeopardy.

She had a gift with people, her family noted, and when in her presence, they felt what they needed most … happier, calmer, relieved, hopeful, and this took no effort or awareness on her part because it came so naturally. She was helpful and completely humble, and always loved a good laugh.

She always maintained a constant youthful spirit ready to mix with the day ahead with vigor, dignity and grace.

She is survived by her five children, Lisa, Kurt, Heidi, Amy and Karl; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; her brothers John (Doris) and Daniel (Toi); and sister-in-law Nancy. She was predeceased by her brother David; nephew Scott; and her husband Kurt.

A celebration of life service will be held at the Presbyterian (Old Whalers’) Church in Sag Harbor in October.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (arfhamptons.org), or other animal rescue efforts.