Norman T. Byrnes

BYRNES, Norman T. A prominent member of the real estate bar in Boston for more than 50 years, died on July 9 in Clearwater, Florida, where he had lived since his retirement in 2001. He was born in Waterville, New York, near Utica, one of eleven children of a baker. He graduated from Harvard College in 1944 and saw combat in France, Germany and Austria in 1944 and 1945 with the 324th Infantry Regiment, 44th Division, earning a battlefield commission, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and the combat infantryman's badge, among other awards. After his military service he attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1948. Norman was a partner at Gaston and Snow and its predecessor firms for many years. He was of counsel to Boyd, MacCrellish & Wheeler, and was of counsel to Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP from 1993 until his retirement in 2001. Norman was well known among real estate law practitioners in Boston and elsewhere. He was President of the Massachusetts Conveyancers Association (now the Real Estate Bar Association of Massachusetts), a state-wide organization of lawyers who include real estate law in their practice. He was also President of the Abstract Club, an organization limited to 100 lawyers, mostly in Boston, who practice intensively in the real estate area. He was also a founding member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He did a great deal of work for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, particularly on development of air rights over the Turnpike, at the Prudential Center in Boston and the Gateway Center in Newton. He played a major role representing The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in its acquisition of land on Dewey Square and the construction of its Atlantic Avenue headquarters. He served as Senior Vice President of The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1971 to 1973. A skilled bridge player, he was a Bronze Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League, and a past President of the Eastern Massachusetts Bridge Association and the New England Bridge Conference. Norman's first wife, Sally, who was a high School classmate, died in 1988. He is survived by his wife, Bette, three sons, Tom of Denver, Colorado, Tim of Anchorage, Alaska and Douglas of Acton; two stepchildren, Timothy Norris of Jacksonville, Florida, and Mary Hemans, of Roswell, Georgia, 5 grandchildren, one great grandson, many nieces and nephews, one brother, Bill of Poland, New York, and two sisters, Frances Morcelle of Buffalo, New York and Betty Eppich of Sun City Center, Florida. A memorial service will be held at the Union Club, 8 Park Street, Boston, at 12:30 P.M. on Saturday, September 12. Donations in memory of Norman can be made to Hospice of the Florida Sun Coast, 2675 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34684, or to Aids Action Committee, 294 Washington Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02108, Attn: Kelly Gaule.