Marie Aline Byrd

Marie Aline "Kit" Byrd, 94, of Port Charlotte, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at the Parkside Memory Care Center in Port Charlotte. She was born on September 11, 1928, in Manhattan, New York, to Henriette Purissima Lessard of Quebec and Francis Joseph O'Brien of Connecticut. Kit was raised in Quebec, Canada, where she spent her formative years before moving to New York City to earn her nursing degree. After residing in New Hampshire for a time she settled in Port Charlotte, where she met her husband, Jack, and they raised their family together.

Kit dedicated her nursing career to the Port Charlotte community and worked in all three local hospitals as a registered nurse in both the operating room and central supply. Her compassionate care touched the lives of many, and she retired after a fulfilling career.

In her free time, Kit was actively involved in the local Al-Anon program, where she provided support to others dealing with addiction. She also enjoyed knitting, traveling, watching old movies, and spending time with her grandchildren.

After retirement, Kit and Jack moved to the mountains of Damascus, Virginia, where they transformed a tobacco barn into a beautiful home that they called "The Byrd Barn House." They enjoyed many happy years there, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Virginia Creeper Trail and Laurel Creek, until Jack's passing in 2017 after 53 years of marriage.

Kit was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Jack Donald Byrd; her first-born son, John Michael Carson; and her eldest sister, Lucille Florence O'Brien. She is survived by her five sons: Chad Byrd of Watauga, Tennessee; Jeff Byrd and his wife, Betty, of Bristol, Tennessee; Bob Carson of Port Charlotte; Rick Carson and his wife, Marla, of Punta Gorda, Florida; and Donald Byrd and his wife, Karen, of Cary, North Carolina. Additionally, she is survived by her sister Rita Gendron Weyer of Shelton, Connecticut, and her brother Jean Francois Gendron of Summerville, South Carolina. Kit is also survived by nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

At Kit's request, there will be a private memorial service for the family. Those who wish to honor Kit's memory may make a donation to the Dementia Society of America in her name. The family thanks the staff at the Parkside Memory Care Center and Hospice of Charlotte County for their compassionate care during Kit's final days.