Cynthia Jane Kitt of Falls Church, Virginia, died Saturday, October 18 after an extended illness. Cynthia (known as Janie to family and friends from her younger days) was the youngest of three musical sisters born to Winifred and Richard Field on a dairy farm in Ashfield Massachusetts. Janie followed the footsteps of older sisters Martha(Gerstenberger) and Constance (Silipigni) and spent her summers in Cummington MA at Greenwood Music Camp playing chamber music and, famously, getting lost. She started college at Mount Holyoke and then went on to graduate from the Curtis Institute with a Bachelor’s in Music. While at Curtis Janie met and married Loren Kitt. They played in several orchestras together and had a daughter Sandra Leigh. They ultimately moved to Northern Virginia where first Loren and then Janie joined the prestigious National Symphony Orchestra. Janie played in the NSO for 27 years. She enjoyed touring and the deep connections formed with members of the orchestra. Aside from music, her passions included hiking, bird watching, dining out with family and friends, her sweet cats, and supporting charitable organizations.

Janie had a keen intellectual curiosity, with a knack for remembering details. She loved reading poetry, as well as books on topics ranging from religion to whales, but equally enjoyed watching rom-coms, baseball and (certain) TV game shows.

Janie will be greatly missed by her family: daughter Sandy Kitt and granddaughter Karen Kitt-James; nephews Peter (Sue) and Karl (Vicki) Gerstenberger and their families; nephew Jeffrey, dec. (Elaine) Wittig; nephews Mario and Robert Silipigni; and nieces Sarah Wittigand Antonia (Ralph) Desrosiers.

The family asks that you continue Janie’s charitable work by donating to one of the causes that meant a lot to her, including Greenwood Music Camp or the National Symphony Orchestra Alumni Fund.