‘She will be missed’

Gail Kirwan, a member of the Hoag Hospital Foundation and a decorated Newport Beach philanthropist, has died at age 65.

Kirwan, a longtime supporter of the Orange County Performing Artscenter, Orange County Museum of Art, Our Lady Queen of Angels Church and other groups, died Monday at her home in Newport Beach. Her husband, Roger Kirwan, said she battled cancer for 12 years and often summoned the strength to work on projects when she was in less-than-ideal health.

“We have been delighted by the outpouring of calls and e-mails, all saying what I would have said about my wife,” he said. “She was a beautiful, kind, elegant woman, and she will be missed.”

Kirwan was elected to the Hoag Hospital Foundation’s board of directors in 2002 and served as secretary from 2004 to 2007. In 2004, she and her husband were honored as “Outstanding Philanthropists” of the year by the Assn. of Fundraising Professionals.

Ron Guziak, the executive director of the Hoag Hospital Foundation, remembered Kirwan Wednesday as a hardworking volunteer who devoted much of her time to raising funds for the hospital’s Cancer Center.

“As an officer, she played an important role in introducing friends and neighbors to Hoag from a philanthropic standpoint,” Guziak said. “That’s certainly an important role of foundation board members, and she did that with a lot of grace and spirit. It’s very sad to have her not be here. She was a great friend.”

A native of Connecticut, Kirwan moved to Newport Beach with her husband in 1973 and retired from her teaching job after her first child was born.

Over the years, the Kirwans became regular faces at charity functions throughout Orange County.

When asked how many groups the couple supported over the years, Roger replied, “That would be too long a list. We never kept score.”

He added that just days before her death, Kirwan continued her service with Hoag, checking that breakfast invitations had gone out for an annual Cancer Center fundraiser.

“She was in bad health, but she loved the cause so much, she wouldn’t let it go,” Roger said.

The Kirwans also provided key support to the Orange County Performing Artscenter, helping to raise funds for the venue’s expansion in 2006. In the wake of Kirwan’s death, Michael Gordon, the chairman of the center’s board of directors, issued a statement praising her philanthropic spirit.

“All of us at the center — board, support group members and staff — are deeply saddened,” Gordon said. “Gail was always so extraordinarily gracious and elegant. It was our pleasure to have counted her as a friend, and we’re honored that she and her husband, Roger, chose to be part of our center family.”

Gail is survived by Roger, daughter, Nicole, son, Sean, his fiancee, Virginia Ngo, and her mother, Mary, sisters Marlene Cann, Susan Schmid and brother, David Logozzo, all of Boston.

Visitation hours at Pacific View Mortuary will be 5 to 7 p.m. today and Friday with a Rosary at 6 p.m. A Requiem Mass celebrating Gail’s life will be at noon Saturday at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in Gail’s name can be made to Boys Hope/Girls Hope at its office at 12912 Brookhurst St., Suite 400A, Garden Grove, CA 92840.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.