Hatice Ferhan Kilical's Obituary
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of H. Ferhan Kilical, age 73, on May 12, 2026, at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis.
Ferhan was born on June 28, 1952, in Ankara to Ali Kemal and Vuslat Aksoy. She attended TED Ankara College, where she met her future husband, Adil, while they were classmates in high school. She later studied city planning and architecture at Middle East Technical University.
Ferhan and Adil were married on January 30, 1975, and welcomed their son in 1976. The family later moved to Izmir, where Ferhan earned her PhD from Ege University. She worked for the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a specialist responsible for the preservation and management of historical settlements in the Aegean region.
When Adil accepted a position at King Saud University, the family relocated to Riyadh. As a strong proponent of women’s education, Ferhan taught at the university's women's campus and also acted as a personal consultant to the wife of Crown Prince Abdullah. During this time, their daughter Yasemin was born.
While teaching in Riyadh, Ferhan and Adil received their U.S. green cards. Following the outbreak of the Gulf War, the family moved to Virginia. Ferhan always had a passion for learning and it was no surprise that she pursued graduate studies in information technology at George Mason University after her exposure to computer technology while working at The Catholic University of America. She became a pioneer in geographic information systems, earning third prize in an international competition for one of her projects.
Seeking greater technical challenges, Ferhan went on to work at Association of American Medical Colleges, Hewlett Packard, Northrop Grumman, and MITRE, where she helped solve performance and systems integration challenges for complex FBI, IRS, and Department of Defense programs. She carried her Top Secret clearance with great pride. After retiring from MITRE, she established her own company in January 2026, though unexpected health complications prevented her from continuing that work.
Ferhan traveled extensively throughout her life, visiting more than 65 countries across six continents. Her favorites included Italy, Vietnam, and Spain. She would have loved to have visited Antarctica to complete all seven continents.
She believed deeply in education, especially for girls and young women. Ferhan established the Department of Computer Studies at Stratford University and served as its Dean. She was known for her generosity and often said there should never be hesitation when spending money on safety, health, or education.
Ferhan also loved the beach and boating with her husband on the Chesapeake Bay and was a passionate reader throughout her life.
Dr. Kilical is survived by her devoted husband of 51 years, Adil; her beloved children, Drs. Baran and Yasemin; her cherished grandchildren, Annabel, Teddy, Rose, Ella, and Mila; her sisters, Drs. Nuran (Korkmaz) and Nurdan (Kural); and her brother, Gokhan.
The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Anne Arundel Medical Center for their compassionate care and support during her final weeks.
Ferhan's funeral service and prayers will be held on Sunday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. at Lasting Tributes Cremation & Funeral Care, 814 Bestgate Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401.
Following the service, family and friends are invited to continue to the Lakemont Memorial Gardens in Davidsonville, MD for burial.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to St. Jude's: https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=6462759&fr_id=154020&pg=personal
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