Anne Whitman Abry

Anne Whitman Abry, 80, of Thompson, CT died on January 11, 2012 at her home surrounded by her loving family and cherished dogs. She was born August 28, 1931 in New York, NY, was the daughter of the late Reginald and Adelaide (Flint) Whitman, adored sister of the late Carol Whitman and loving wife of the late Charles L. Abry IV. Anne attended the Chapin School in NY, NY and Barmore Junior College in NY, NY.

Anne W. Abry’s ancestral tree is crowned with a rich heritage. Her grandfather, Dr. Austin Flint, was the sixth physician in direct successive lineal descent whose family emigrated from Derbyshire, England and settled Concord, MA in 1638. Dr. Austin Flint, 2nd was the discoverer of the “Flint Murmur” of the heart and helped bring the binaural stethoscope into general use. Dr. Austin Flint, 3rd was the first physiologist in the United States to operate on the spinal cord and the spinal nerves in living animals.

Anne worked as a case manager, supervisor and then as director of the State Home Care Program at Tri-Valley Elder Services in Dudley, MA where she made many lifelong friends and enjoyed working with her elderly clients. She was a member of the Geriatric Providers Council comprised of elder care agencies serving the great Milford area and the Blackstone Valley.

A resident of Thompson, CT for 34 years, Anne was very active in the community. She was a board member for the Friends of the Thompson Library, former Vice President of the New England West Highland White Terrier Club, a member of the Thompson Historic Society, the West Highland White Terrier Society of CT, and the Thimble Club. As a board member of the Quinebaug Valley Community College, Anne raised money to grant scholarships and served as a Learning In Retirement liaison.

Anne was a champion of animals and a generous supporter of the Animal Rescue League, the Doris Day Animal League, PETA, Defenders of Wildlife, the Humane Society, and the ASPCA.

Anne loved entertaining friends and family hosting dinner parties and cocktail parties, enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren at sporting events and was very proud of their academic and athletic accomplishments. She loved to travel, was an avid reader, knitter and rug-hooker, played bridge, enjoyed oil and watercolor painting, daily crossword puzzles, weekly book club meetings, and loved to garden and cultivate plants.

Anne was a dynamic woman of great intelligence and quick wit. She and her family lived in Spain for many years where she became fluent in Spanish and raised Irish Wolfhounds. While abroad she also mastered French, Italian and German. Anne was a woman of deep kindness and loyalty who positively touched the lives of everyone who knew her. She had many, many dear and devoted friends who cherished and respected her magnetic personality, rich and warm spirit, her constant smile, her grace and inner beauty. Anne had the power to soothe the spirit of others. A dear friend wrote to her “everyone whose lives you have touched has been a recipient of your grace and they will never ever forget you”. In her memoirs, Anne wrote that she would like to be remembered for her ability to enjoy life and her compassion for all living creatures.

Anne is survived by her children Cynthia Abry of Hoschton, GA, Elaine Abry of Wenham, MA, Charles Abry of Boston, MA, Jennifer Abry Goldstein of Newburgh, IN, Jonathan Abry of Roswell, GA, Scott Abry of Greenwich, CT; her two nephews Larry Whitman of Baltimore, MD and Brad Whitman of Wynnewood, PA; her seventeen grandchildren and her partner Joseph Gibbons.

Her loving and devoted children and grandchildren share “…We hold you close within our hearts, And there you will remain, To walk with us throughout our lives until we meet again, Our family chain is broken now, And nothing will be the same, But as God calls us one by one, The chain will link again. ”

A memorial service celebrating Anne’s life will be held at 1pm on June 10 at the Thompson Congregational Church, Thompson, CT with a reception to follow. Please note the April 21 service previously published in the Villager has been rescheduled to June 10. Please visit www.GilmanAndValade.com for the memorial guestbook.

Please bring a little sunshine to our world, like Anne did, by making a donation to the Humane Society of the United States or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “Bring your sorrows in doing good deeds, miss me – but let me go.”