Olive (Simard) Byrne     1917  -  2008

"Fairwell" to our "Most Senior" Senior

Olive's Senior Class Picture 1945

Celebrating her 90th Birthday August 3 2007 with Karen and Tom Byrne, a birthday cake and lobster!

  E-mail for OliveByrne

Olive M. (Simard) Byrne, 90, formerly of Leominster, died Tuesday, June 17, 2008 in the Mary Ann Morse Nursing Home of Natick.

She was born in Leominster, on August 3, 1917, the daughter of the late Mitchell A. and the late Lydia J. (Simard) Simard.

After High School, she graduated from Worcester City Hospital School of Nursing in 1938. She attended the University of Cincinnati for the advanced Pediatric Program from 1939 to 1940, on a scholarship from Procter and Gamble. She worked as Director of Formula Room and Assistant Head Nurse in the Infants Department at The Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1940 to 1942. She worked at The Children's Hospital in Boston as Staff Nurse from 1942-1943, from 1943 to 1949 as Head Nurse, from 1951 to 1957 as Nursing Service Supervisor, then as Clinical Instructor from 1957 to 1958. She was a faculty member of The Children's Hospital School of Nursing from 1958 to 1977, and Program Chairman from 1958 to 1965, then Assistant Director of the School of Nursing form 1965 until the school closed in 1977. Mrs. Byrne received her B.S. in Nursing from Boston University in 1951, and received her M.S. in Nursing from Boston College in 1961. She was a participant in the accreditation of the Diploma School of Nursing by the National League of Nursing. She was a member of the American Nurse's Association, the American Red Cross, and the National League of Nursing.

She was a member of St. Cecilia's Church in Leominster. She is survived by her step daughter, Karen A. Byrne of Natick; her step son, Thomas W. Byrne and his wife Edythe De Maro of Pawtucket, RI; her brother, J. Arthur Simard of Leominster; her granddaughter, Emma Lee Byrne of Pawtucket, RI; and several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband, Paul J. Byrne, whom she met at her 45th Leominster High School Reunion and married on her 64th birthday on August 3, 1981. She was also predeceased by her sisters, Veronica M. "Ronnie" Robichaud, Ida Moure, Sister Cecile Simard, Cecilia Domingue; and by her brothers, Henry, Louis, Hector and Robert Simard.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Cecilia's Church, 180 Mechanic Street, Leominster.

Burial will follow in St. Cecilia's Cemetery. Calling hours will be held Saturday, June 21, 2008 from 9:45 - 10:45 a.m. at the Simard Funeral Home, 14 Walker Street, Leominster.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made in her memory to Children's Hospital Boston, P.O. Box 414421, Boston, MA 02241-4421.