Amy Ayres
May 16, 1918 — September 29, 2009
AMY ELIZABETH MAY ALMFELT AYRES died peacefully in the presence of her beloved family at Rosenthal Hospice Residence on September 29, 2009.
Born May 6, 1918 in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of Dr. Gustavus Adolphus (Magnusson) Almfelt, MD, formerly of Sweden, and Selma Josephine Coen Almfelt, RN, formerly of Germany, the youngest of four children. Her brother and two sisters predeceased her. She lived in Chicago, IL, Kingston, NY, Syracuse, NY and Norwalk, CT, where her father, assisted by her mother, ran private sanitariums. She graduated from Norwalk High School in 1936 and from Syracuse University in 1940. That year she began teaching English at Jeffersonville NY Central School, where she met Robert Lynn Ayres, the new math teacher. After he was drafted into the Army in 1941, she went into war factory work in New York State. They married at his home in Bullville, NY on March 26, 1944, and moved to Decatur, IL where they worked at the same Manhattan Project factory. Their son Steven E. Ayres was born there in 1945.
After Bob Ayres was discharged from the Army in 1946, the family moved back to the Ayres family farm in Bullville, when Bob returned to teaching, then back to Jeffersonville, where their son, David L. Ayres was born in 1948. In 1949, Bob took a teaching job in Hempstead, NY, and their son Robert A. Ayres was born there in 1950.
After her three sons were in school, Amy received her Master’s Decree in Education from Hofstra University. She began teaching high school English again, served a year as HHS Dean of Girls, then completed her career as a fourth grade teacher at Ludlum School in Hempstead. She and Bob retired in 1978 and moved to Whiting, NJ. In 1984 they bought a condo in Boynton Beach, FL, and spent several years “snowbirding” between north and south. For many years, they also had a summer cottage on Cape Pond outside of Ellenville, NY. After Bob Ayres died in1994, Amy sold her NJ home and spent winters in FL and summers in the north with family. A hurricane persuaded her in 2006 to move to Stamford, nearer her family.
A devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt, Amy is survived by Steve and his wife, Betty of Stamford, Dave and his wife, Maureen of New York, NY and Bob and his friend Stephanie of Grand Isle Vermont, grandchildren Amy E. Ayres of New York, NY, Rebecca A. Schwartz of Brighton, MA, Melissa A. Sipes of Dallas, Texas, Keri L. Kominek of Strasburg, VA, David P. Ayres of New York, NY, Amanda A. Phillips of Colorado Springs, CO, Anna L. Ayres of Burlington, VT, and Clinton R. Ayres of San Pablo, CA., six great-grandchildren, many other loving relatives, former students, and good friends from church and ATRIA in Stamford, Boynton Beach and across the county. She was the last of her generation in the Ayres and Almfelt families, and will be greatly missed!
A celebration of Amy’s life will be held at First Congregational Church of Stamford,
1 Walton Place on Saturday, October 24th at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to that church or to VNA/Hospice of SW CT, Inc. at 1266 E. Main St., Stamford, CT 06902.
Born May 6, 1918 in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of Dr. Gustavus Adolphus (Magnusson) Almfelt, MD, formerly of Sweden, and Selma Josephine Coen Almfelt, RN, formerly of Germany, the youngest of four children. Her brother and two sisters predeceased her. She lived in Chicago, IL, Kingston, NY, Syracuse, NY and Norwalk, CT, where her father, assisted by her mother, ran private sanitariums. She graduated from Norwalk High School in 1936 and from Syracuse University in 1940. That year she began teaching English at Jeffersonville NY Central School, where she met Robert Lynn Ayres, the new math teacher. After he was drafted into the Army in 1941, she went into war factory work in New York State. They married at his home in Bullville, NY on March 26, 1944, and moved to Decatur, IL where they worked at the same Manhattan Project factory. Their son Steven E. Ayres was born there in 1945.
After Bob Ayres was discharged from the Army in 1946, the family moved back to the Ayres family farm in Bullville, when Bob returned to teaching, then back to Jeffersonville, where their son, David L. Ayres was born in 1948. In 1949, Bob took a teaching job in Hempstead, NY, and their son Robert A. Ayres was born there in 1950.
After her three sons were in school, Amy received her Master’s Decree in Education from Hofstra University. She began teaching high school English again, served a year as HHS Dean of Girls, then completed her career as a fourth grade teacher at Ludlum School in Hempstead. She and Bob retired in 1978 and moved to Whiting, NJ. In 1984 they bought a condo in Boynton Beach, FL, and spent several years “snowbirding” between north and south. For many years, they also had a summer cottage on Cape Pond outside of Ellenville, NY. After Bob Ayres died in1994, Amy sold her NJ home and spent winters in FL and summers in the north with family. A hurricane persuaded her in 2006 to move to Stamford, nearer her family.
A devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt, Amy is survived by Steve and his wife, Betty of Stamford, Dave and his wife, Maureen of New York, NY and Bob and his friend Stephanie of Grand Isle Vermont, grandchildren Amy E. Ayres of New York, NY, Rebecca A. Schwartz of Brighton, MA, Melissa A. Sipes of Dallas, Texas, Keri L. Kominek of Strasburg, VA, David P. Ayres of New York, NY, Amanda A. Phillips of Colorado Springs, CO, Anna L. Ayres of Burlington, VT, and Clinton R. Ayres of San Pablo, CA., six great-grandchildren, many other loving relatives, former students, and good friends from church and ATRIA in Stamford, Boynton Beach and across the county. She was the last of her generation in the Ayres and Almfelt families, and will be greatly missed!
A celebration of Amy’s life will be held at First Congregational Church of Stamford,
1 Walton Place on Saturday, October 24th at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to that church or to VNA/Hospice of SW CT, Inc. at 1266 E. Main St., Stamford, CT 06902.
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