John Edward Byron

John Edward Byron passed away peacefully at the age of 81. John was born to Dorothy Schild and Jack E. Byron and grew up in Dayton, Tennessee. John sadly never knew his father as Jack was drafted before John was born and gave his life for his country while fighting in Italy. Dorothy and John moved in with her parents where John grew up next door to his first cousin Sue Schild creating cherished memories and lifelong bonds.

John was highly intelligent and a natural leader and his brilliance shone through in every aspect of his life. He was Valedictorian of the Senior Class, Vice President of the Student Council and played and enjoyed various sports. He was also President of the Junior Class and the Sophomore Class.

After graduating from Emory and Henry College in Virginia, John's leadership in United Methodist Church activities led him to enroll at Drew University's Master of Divinity program. There, he met his future wife Gail Weiss who was working on her Master's degree at Drew University and working part-time at the Admissions Office where she met Marlene Hallam. They immediately became best friends. Gail had already met John, and Marlene's husband Tom was also in the Master of Divinity program. The four of them formed a lifetime friendship.

Tom and Marlene moved back to Pennsylvania, while John decided to become a member of The New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church where his first appointment was the United Methodist Church in East Moriches on Long Island in 1970. Nearby in Westhampton Beach having also joined the NY Annual Conference in 1970 was Tom Vaughan and his wife Anne. The four of them became good friends. John was later appointed as Youth Minister at the large Port Washington United Methodist Church on Long Island which allowed him to inspire and become a positive force in the lives of countless young people.

John was later appointed to a church at Pleasant Valley, Connecticut, where there was a ping-pong table in the basement of the parsonage. About the same time Tom was appointed to the nearby church at West Granby. Tom, having been active in sports tried valiantly to beat John, but John was most often the winner!

Gail had been teaching while in Pleasant Valley then became the Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator, so they decided to move to Burlington and buy a house. John left the ministry at that point and took a job at The Travelers Agency in Hartford. There he learned some new computer skills and enjoyed using them to help Gail with classroom materials. He also pursued his love of Scrabble and enjoyed spreading his love of the game. An avid reader, he also led a book discussion group.

After the sad loss of their spouses, John and Anne Vaughan began to spend time together as Anne had moved back to Connecticut from retirement in North Carolina. It was natural that John became a beloved member of Anne's family since her daughters had known him their whole lives. Anne's grandchildren, Chloe and Allister loved singing and dancing and performed in many productions at CAST Children's Theater. John took great pleasure in attending their performances. After he developed dementia, he still loved to hear them sing and he cherished recordings of their shows. Anne's family all visited him often at the Brookdale Memory Unit where he received excellent care.

John leaves behind a legacy of love, faith and compassion. He is remembered not just as a devoted husband, friend and mentor but also as a fiercely intelligent, kind and gentle man who was an inspiration to all who knew him.

If desired, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association 800-272-3900 or to CAST Children's Theatre 113 Summit St., Manchester, CT 06040 or https://www.casttheatre.org