Elizabeth Lousie (Beth) Kilmer was born–July 28th, 1938– to parents Edward and Elizabeth Hines and raised in Providence, R.I.. Beth remained close with her younger siblings and their spouses, Kathy and Mike Rylant, and Ed and Diane Hines throughout her life, which ended peacefully (masterfully, even) on January 28th, 2026 (eighty-seven in case you were doing the math) in the company of her children.
A dedicated pianist deeply moved by religion and philosophy, Beth entered the convent not long after high school and spent seven years as a novitiate. She attended Salve Regina College during this time, where she met and fell in love with Hugh Kilmer, who passed in 2015. Beth and Hugh resided mostly in Hoboken, where they developed a close set of like-minded and beloved lifelong friends. Beth and Hugh were Catholics dedicated to volunteerism, service, and the arts.
Beth spent her life deeply devoted to community activism and education. Examples include Steven’s Co-operative Nursery School, Nuestros Niños Daycare, Hudson School, Mustard Seed, School Board activism, Tenant rights work with Tom Olivieri and Tom Vezetti, and eventually Hoboken Charter School, where she was fundamental in envisioning and sustaining a powerful MLK Day march and celebration. In addition, she served as the head of the research library at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Beth shared her love of music as a teacher at Sacred Heart High School, through generations of private piano students, and many years of beloved service at the organ in Our Lady of Grace and then Saint Lawrence Church, both walking distance from the 1205 Bloomfield Street brownstone where she raised her five children (Michael Hugh, Benjamin Edward, Caroline Francis, Anna Dwyer and Daniel Tobias) and saw the births of her first two grandchildren. She earned her master’s degree in music under renowned pianist and musicologist Konrad Wolff at Montclair State University in her forties while working and raising her children. She continued to volunteer, teach, study, and perform music throughout her life, including traveling to El Salvador to provide music classes to students at the Centro Arte para la Paz.
Beth was dedicated to her 11 grandchildren (Sonja, Aliana, Eli, Kaden, Benjamin, Rinah, Nicole, Ashirah, Connor, Matthew, and Lily) and in-laws (Rivka, Tracey, Armen, Jason, Matt, and Dania). Her family and descendants continue her legacy of courage, creativity, healing, justice, and joy.
A celebration of Beth’s life will be held on
Friday, February 6, 2026
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Failla-McKnight Memorial Home
533 Willow Avenue, Hoboken.
The Funeral Mass will be offered at
Saturday, February 7, 2026
10:30 AM
Our Lady of Grace R.C. Church
400 Willow Avenue, Hoboken.
There will be a small private burial for immediate friends and family where Beth will be interred beside Hugh at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Avenue, Mahwah. To express sympathy, we welcome a donation in Beth’s memory to
Centro De Arte para la Paz
Sushitoto, El Salvador