Jean Bye

ROCHESTER — Jean Waldron Bye, 80, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family after a long battle with illness.

She was born in Portland, Maine, daughter of the late Roger and Alice Waldron. She graduated South Portland High School in 1946 and attended New England Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Boston, where she earned a nursing degree in 1949.

She served in numerous nursing positions around New England, including the Naval Hospital in Newport, R.I., the Marine Hospital in Portland, Maine, Saint Ann's Home in Dover, Healthcare Manor, also in Dover, and ultimately as a school nurse at Saint Mary's in Dover, and then Rollinsford Grade School in Rollinsford.

She lived in Dover for 38 years, where she raised her family of three children before moving to Rochester in 1997. She volunteered for many organizations over the years, including Welcome Wagon in Dover for many years.

After her retirement from Rollinsford Grade School, she loved to travel, see the country and camp with her husband. They made numerous camping trips all over the country including, a grand two-month excursion around the country in 1997 visiting national parks and then circling through the south and back home again. In 1998, they toured the Canadian Maritimes and in 1999 they hauled their trailer to Alaska and back. In 2001, they traveled to Norway for their 50th wedding anniversary in the country of origin of the Bye family.

Jean was a deeply devoted wife and mother, which she considered her most important and precious achievements in life, and is survived by her husband of 57 years, Karl Bye; a daughter, Lynn Brokus (also a school nurse at Tri-City Christian Academy) and her husband, Paul Brokus; a son, Ronald and his wife Wanda (Peacock) Bye; three grandsons, Kraig Bye of Dover, Erik Bye of San Diego and Daniel Brokus of Rochester; three granddaughters, Amy, Katie and Sara Brokus, all of Rochester; a sister-in-law, Eleanore Smith of Dearborn, Mich.; a brother-in-law, Richard Bye of California and nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews in Boston, California and Michigan.

She was predeceased by her youngest son, David Bye (1956–2006).

A memorial service and celebration of Jean's life will be held Sunday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m., at First Parish United Church of Christ at 176 West High Street in Somersworth, where she had been a member for many years.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in her memory to the charity of your choice, the Prune Belly Syndrome Network (www.prunebelly.org, P.O. Box 3914 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3914) in honor of her daughter, Lynn, who's son, Daniel, is afflicted with the syndrome, or the First Parish United Church of Christ.

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