Adapted from the Memorial Service Prayer for Amy E. Henry
Offered by Reverend Carleen Gerber on September 7, 2013

        While our hearts are heavy with sorrow, at the same time our hearts are filled with gratitude for the gift we were given in knowing Amy Henry as mother, grandmother, sister, co-worker, mentor, friend. We celebrate a life lived well and long.

     If the greatest of gifts, and the highest honor we can give is love for one another, then in Amy we knew one who taught us the highest ideals by her quiet, steady example. Amy knew how to love unconditionally, and with an uncommon breadth of generosity. And we were honored to have had her as a part of our lives – in this community and its schools, in this church family, and within the walls of the home she crafted with such care and dedication.

     We are thankful for the family that Amy sustained, and that  gathered with such grace and dedication to stand by her side in her last days among us.  Amy often said that her family was her greatest treasure. She was proud of all their accomplishments and took great pleasure in being part of the fabric of each of their lives.  She listened, and she loved, and she stayed the course of compassion – always. The simple graces that make of four walls a home came so naturally and unselfishly to Amy.  Homemade cookies, annual summer jellies and jams, hearty meals – these were the simple threads from which she wove a tapestry of family strength. And even after the painful loss of Elbert, she sought to build a strong foundation for her family – a foundation built on a high regard for honest, hard work; and respect for the value of higher education; and the importance of living a life of integrity.  We are thankful for all those gifts great and small that Amy bestowed upon this family she so loved. And we  are thankful for the truth of a beneficent reciprocity so evident to the outside world: that the family Amy called her greatest treasure could say the same of her: that she was their compass, their rock, their inspiration, and their solace in any storm.

        We are thankful for the joy, the sense of humor, the sparkle of smiling eyes for which we will long remember Amy.  While it could easily be said that life for her had its share of hard work; it could also be said that she radiated a contentment and joy in living that should inspire each of us in our own lives. Amy loved the comraderie of good friends and fellow workers.   She loved the anticipation of the big family gatherings that marked each Thanksgiving holiday. She found pleasure in the simple rhythms of mowing her lawn, tending her gardens, and sitting on the porch to watch the birds and the passing of neighbors. A well-spring of peace anchored her to life in a way that seemed unshakable.

       We are thankful for Amy’s love of children – not only her own children and grandchildren, but the children of this community. Her service to our public schools was selfless. Her decades of dedication to our Sunday School program here at this church insured that she helped to guide and inspire several generations of our young people in the arts and truths of faith. And most especially that children recognized in Amy a kindred spirit; for her love for them was authentic and true. Quite simply, children were, for Amy, a source of great joy.

        We are thankful for the bedrock of faith that sustained Amy through all of life’s storms – and which gave her strength, courage and wisdom through all her years. She loved singing in our choir, teaching our youth, modeling service to her own children by the meticulous care of our buildings and grounds, and cooking and serving the homeless and needy in our soup kitchen ministries.  Her ministries among us were graced with humility – but were iron-strong. We witnessed the strength of her faith in the resilience of her character, and in the graceful acceptance and peace that accompanied her countenance at life’s end. We are thankful for her love for this church community and all its ministries and work.

      May we who are fortunate to be her family be sustained by the knowledge that Amy loved us beyond measure, and that she will guide us still in the years to come because her legacy of a strong spirit and an undaunted courage will remain with us, undiminished.  Let us bind closely to one another, for her sake, and remind ourselves that there is nothing that can ever separate us from the love we have known.

Although this is not a story, I would like to share here 11 loving tributes that others have made to Grandma on The Day's website where her obituary was published.  These tributes will be automatically deleted from that website at the end of the month, so I have copied them here for us to continue to read and enjoy in the coming months and years.  I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has made tributes and to everyone who attended Grandma's beautiful service earlier this month in Old Lyme.  Love to you all! 

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September 13, 2013

Lauren, Eric, Kim, Dave and Evan,

I was very sorry to hear of your mom's passing. I think it was back at one of the Henry reunions in the 1990's at Button Bay campsite that I saw her last. She was a remarkable woman with quiet greatness and energy and served as a tremendous role model for all of us. Please know that the families of Clifford, Robert and Douglas Henry (your dad's cousins that grew up in Port Henry from the Harold side) send deepest sympathy to your entire extended family.

Sincerely, Debbie Henry, Port Henry, NY


September 05, 2013

Dear Kim and Family, 

Please accept our condolences on the loss of your cherished mother, Amy.

From the staff at SPEC Services, Inc., Fountain Valley, California

September 04, 2013

I am blessed to have had Amy, and all the family as neighbors. I will cherish these moments: preschool at your house, baseball in the backyard, and stopping by for a chat with Amy.

I am truly sorry for your loss.

~ Pam Speirs McDonald

September 02, 2013

Our prayers are with you at this time - God Bless you

Staff at QC Home Care Solutions, LLC

September 01, 2013

My thoughts and prayers to the Henry family. I had Mrs. Henry for first grade way back in 1987/1988. I have fond memories of her class. She was a wonderful person and will be missed.

~ Sarah Beyer, Plymouth, Massachusetts

August 30, 2013

I cannot say enough of what a wonderful person and teacher she was. She taught several of my children in first grade and they all loved her and respected her.

~ Denece Herrera, Old Lyme, Connecticut

August 30, 2013

I remember Mrs. Henry so well and appreciate the opportunity to learn about her activities after I left Old Lyme. Condolences to her family.

~ Diane Losea Roeder, Northampton, Massachusetts

August 29, 2013

It was a joy and a pleasure to work alongside Amy both at Mile Creek School and as a Sunday School teacher for several years. Her wit and her stamina always astounded me, and her grounded, matter-of-fact manner was inspirational during the sometimes chaotic moments around lots of little children. Cheers to you, Amy Henry, your inspiration spread across generations and will continue to make people smile for years to come.

~ Deb Burr, Old Lyme, Connecticut

August 29, 2013

She was a true pioneer to "It takes a village to raise a child". Blessings to her and her family.

~ Alison Ritrovato,  Lyme, Connecticut

August 29, 2013

God bless her for everything she did for me and my family for 40 years.

~ Tom Cheetham, Monroe, Maine

August 29, 2013

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Amy's family. What could one say about Amy, there is not enough words to describe her. She was very unique, a wonderful person. She was our neighbor on Homestead Circle, I have soooooo many memories of her and her family. She will be dearly missed by so many.

~ Nancy Campbell, Old Lyme, Connecticut 

I called Mom on the first of July, just a few months ago. The phone rang a while before she answered. She said she was washing the windows in the back room, so it took a while to get to the phone. I said "Just the inside of the windows?"  She said, "No, the outside too." I said "That must be hard to do."  She said "It is. You have to stand on a chair."