Harriet B. Lyons, 84
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Harriet B. Lyons, 84, of Sweetwood Retirement Community, died peacefully Monday, Sept. 6, 2010, at Sweet Brook Care Centers.
Born in Mineola, Long Islond, N.Y., on Jan. 1, 1926, daughter of Harry and Bernardine Brinkman, she attended schools on Long Island and earned her bachelor's degree in Latin and her teaching certificate from Albany (N.Y.) Teachers College, now State University of New York at Albany.
Mrs. Lyons taught high school English in Walkil, N.Y., and, after her marriage, at Oberlin High School in Ohio until becoming a homemaker when her daughter, Marjorie Durning, was born.
She and her husband, Charles H. Lyons, were married in her hometown of Belrose, N.Y., on Aug. 2, 1947, after which they moved to Ohio so that her husband could complete his college education. He became a teacher at Scarsdale (N.Y.) Junior High School, and they settled in Westchester County, first in Hartsdale and then in Scarsdale.
She was an active member of Hitchcock Presbyterian Church in Scarsdale and enjoyed participating in various community activities as well as spending time with her many wonderful friends. She dearly loved her home and life in Scarsdale, where she lived for 44 years. She was a caring and caregiving wife for almost 60 years, until dementia diminished her ability to manage her life, said family, as well as a wonderful mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend. Everyone who knew her remembers her warmth, intelligence and graciousness.
Besides her husband, also at Sweet Brook, and her daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Ronald B. "Skip" Durning Jr., of Williamstown, she leaves her two devoted grandsons, Matthew Durning and his longtime partner, Krista Northup, of Oakland, Calif., and Peter Durning and his wife, Erin Carney, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a sister, Nancy Hoffman of Greenbrae, Calif.; a sister-in-law, Alice Eckardt of Coopersburg, Pa.; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Donald and Joni Lyons of Vineyard Haven and Edward and Cory Lyons of Colorado Springs, Colo., and nieces and nephews.
She will also be greatly missed by her special friend Jackie Kay of Scarsdale and her longtime caregiver, Amy Cariddi, of North Adams.
FUNERAL NOTICE - There will be no calling hours for Mrs. Lyons. The family plans a private celebration of her life at a future date. The family would like to express its appreciation to the many dedicated staff members at Sweetwood and Sweet Brook whose caring personal touch meant so much to them and to Mrs. Lyons during the final years of her life.
Those wishing to make donations in her memory may do so to their local library or to the Alzheimer's Association in care of Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247.