It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Thomas W. Byrne, 71, of Tiverton, Rhode Island. Tom died peacefully at home, with his family on Friday, September 11th, after a courageous battle with glioblastoma. He was the beloved husband and best friend of Edythe De Marco and the proud and adoring father of Jason Byrne. He was a beloved uncle, brother-in-law and friend.
Born in Leominster, MA, on September 30, 1948, Tom was the son of the late Paul J. and Shirley L. (neé Yager) Byrne, step-son of Olive Byrne and loving brother of Karen A. Byrne, of Natick, MA.
Tom was a Boston College "Double Eagle", having attended both undergraduate and graduate school at the university. He began his career in pharmaceutical sales, with Burroughs Wellcome, in Boston, in 1975, then worked in marketing for Kendall, before moving to RI to assume the role of Marketing Manager for Davol, in Cranston. He spent eleven years working with Edye at Merrill Lynch, in Providence, before retiring in 2011. Tom served as former Board Chair of The French-American School of RI and as Board Member for The Villages on Mount Hope Bay.
Tom and Edye met in 1994, were engaged in Paris a year later and then eloped to Aspen in January of 1996. They lived in Pawtucket for 24 years before moving to Tiverton. Together, and often with friends and family, enjoyed watching boats sail on the Sakonnet River and the sun set over the Narragansett bay from their deck. Their annual post-holiday trip to Stowe, VT, with Jason and extended family, gave Tom great joy.
Tom will be forever remembered for his loving heart, sense of humor, knack for trivia, appreciation of music and theatre, travel, good food, bourbon and a great fireworks display. He enjoyed playing piano, guitar and the ukulele.
Tom was an avid tennis player. Although he vowed never to "belong to a club that would have him as a member," he joined Agawam Hunt in 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed playing grass tennis with his buddies or wherever someone had a racket and was willing to chase fuzzy yellow balls.
Tom had the gift of being a good listener and was easy to accept, adapt and forgive. He had an abiding love of The Beatles, the Red Sox, iced coffee, fried clams and ice cream. He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, furry companions, Reilly and Bailey, and all who knew him.
The funeral and burial is limited to immediate family due to CDC Guidelines. For access to livestream on day of service click the following link:
September 19th, 2020 at 11AM
https://bit.ly/35BUDk4.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Foster Forward,
www.fosterforward.net or Hope Hospice,
www.hopehealthco.org.