Nancy Ashley Byrne

Nancy Ashley Byrne, 76, wife of Harry Byrne of Wethersfield, passed away on Tuesday (October 20, 2009). Nancy was born in Plymouth, NH, daughter of the late Herbert Arthur Ashley and Phyllis (Bean) Ashley. She grew up in Dorchester, NH and graduated from Towle High School in Newport, NH. She attended Skidmore College and after graduating in 1954, joined G. Fox & Co. in Hartford as an Asst. Buyer. She was married to her husband Harry T. Byrne in 1957 and resided in Hartford. In 1961 Nancy and her family moved to Wethersfield. There she was an active member of the First Church of Christ, Congregational serving as a Deacon, member of the Church Board, Sunday school teacher and choir member. She served on the Wethersfield Committee on Culture and the Arts and was a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and for the National Kidney Foundation of CT. She enjoyed skiing, tennis, figure skating and played and officiated field hockey. She particularly enjoyed being with her grandchildren. After kidney failure, her dear sister Jean gave her a kidney in 1989 and later accompanied her to the 1996 Transplant Games in Salt Lake City, where Nancy won a Silver Medal in Tennis as a member of Team CT. In addition to her husband, she is survived by sons, Thomas A. Byrne and wife Nancy of West Hartford, Alan T. Byrne and wife Sandra of Wethersfield; daughters, Mary Byrne of Wethersfield, Carolyn Yablon of West Chester, PA and Laura Byrne and husband John Graham of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and ten grandchildren, Thomas, Jr., Christopher, Sarah, Allison, Conor Byrne of West Hartford; Ryan and Elizabeth Byrne of Wethersfield, Jeremy Yablon of Pennsylvania and Benjamin and Katherine Graham of Florida. In addition, she is survived by her sister, Jean Arnao of Canton, MA. She was predeceased by her sister, Blanche MacDonald of Dorchester, NH. A Memorial Service will be celebrated Monday, October 26, at 11 a.m. at the First Church of Christ, 250 Main St., Wethersfield. Burial will be private. There are no calling hours. Donations in Nancy's memory may be made to the First Church of Christ, 250 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109 or the National Kidney Foundation of CT, 2139 Silas Deane Hwy, Suite 208, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. The James T. Pratt Funeral Service is assisting Nancy's family with arrangements. For on-line expressions of sympathy please visit www.desopo.com.