Anna May Tryon, 90
SHEFFIELD, Mass. — Anna May Tryon, 90, died Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, at home, of congestive heart disease.
Born in Sheffield on July 8, 1919, daughter of Frederick and Mary Clarke Woodbeck, she was attended the one-room schoolhouse at Brush Hill and was a 1936 graduate of the former Sheffield High School. She played sports and loved writing poetry. Her high school paper, The Pine Knoll Register, called her "The Titian Haired Beauty noted for her attempts with the Muse, which have resulted in Pine Knoll Register verses. She has been a fighting guard on the BB team sending many a poor defenseless opponent home much the worse for wear."
A homemaker, Mrs. Tryon was active in many local organizations, including Fairview Hospital Auxiliary in Great Barrington and the American Red Cross, and was both a Cub and Boy Scout leader. The organization that was most dear to her was the American Legion Auxiliary. Over the years, she held local and regional directorships and state offices and was involved in national roles.
She was an active member of St. James' Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry, as treasurer and in the choir. In 1994, she returned to Christ Church Episcopal in Sheffield, where she had been baptized and married. There she was an enthusiastic participant and mainstay in all fundraising activities.
An avid gardener, she surrounded herself with beautiful gardens and lovely houseplants. Her passion for crafts made her excellent at crocheting, knitting, and crewel work. Mrs. Tryon was known best in later years for her beautiful quilts, which she provided to the church and other organizations for fund raising. An accomplished baker, she always had a sweet on hand to share with those who stopped by her home, which was always open to visitors. When her children were young, friends called their home "the cake, pie, and cookie house."
She lived life on her own terms, residing at her beloved farm independent and in total charge of her destiny until the end. Her sheer determination and love of life saw her through close to a century of trying times, said family. She was a loving, devoted mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.
Her husband, John Thomas Tryon, whom she married in October 1940, died in December 1993.
She leaves her son, John Frederick Tryon and his wife, Gabriele, of Montgomery, Texas; two daughters, Anne Lee Andrews of Great Barrington and Frances Marie Hunt and her husband, Edward, of Housatonic, five grandchildren, John, Katherine, Brad, Tom and Mark, and four great-grandchildren, Amelie, Gabe, Ella and Emma.
FUNERAL NOTICE — Funeral services celebrating the life of Mrs. Tryon will be held on Monday, Dec. 28, 2009, at 11 a.m. from Christ Church Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran Church in Sheffield. Burial will follow at Sheffield Center Cemetery.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, Dec. 27, from 2 until 5 at Finnerty and Stevens Funeral Home in Great Barrington. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the Sheffield American Legion Post 340 or to the Christ Church Episcopal and Trinity Lutheran Church Tiffany Window Fund through the funeral home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. Remembrances, memories and reflections may be sent to the family through www.finnertyandstevens.com.