Anne Mason Byron (A. M. Byron as some of you might know her), passed away with her husband and children by her side on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at WhidbeyHealth Medical Center in Coupeville, Wash. She was 86 years of age.

Anne was born in St. John’s, Mich. on Sept. 15, 1932 and grew up an hour away in Grandville, near Grand Rapids. She graduated from Handy High School in Bay City, Mich. Anne attended Trinity College in Burlington, Vermont and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ESL.

She received her master’s degree just across the Winooksi River at St. Michael’s College.

From 1973 to 1980 Anne and husband James owned and operated a hotel in Westfield, Vt. Anne also taught Adult Education in Vermont.

In 1991, while visiting two of her children on Whidbey Island, Anne fell in love with the Island way of life. She and Jim made the move to Oak Harbor, Wash. in 1996.

Anne loved music. She was a clarinet player in the community band in Newport, Vt. After moving to Oak Harbor, she joined the Whidbey Island All-Community Band, where she continued playing her clarinet for parades and community concerts.

She was a member of the St. Stephen’s Church choir and enjoyed singing alto for many years with the Whidbey Community Chorus.

Anne was a novelist. Her books included Full Circle, Patterns, Kin’s Harbor, Invasion of Snowfield, Frost Heaves, and Howard, Not Forgotten. She continued her love of the written word as an English instructor at Skagit Valley College in Oak Harbor.

As a fifth generation Episcopalian, Anne was a member at St. John Episcopal in Michigan, St. Mark Episcopal in Vermont, St. Paul Episcopal in Massachusetts and St. Stephen’s Episcopal in Washington.

Anne is survived by her husband, Jim; three children, Kath, Bob, and John; two grandchildren, Christa Mann and Elizabeth Oh; and three great-grandchildren, Hannah Chelsey, Jonathan Perkins, and Emily Mann. Those who preceded Anne in death are her parents.

The Byron family suggests memorials in Anne’s name to her favorite charities: Paralyzed Veterans of America, by phone, at 1 (800) 555-9140 or online at www.pva.org/ ; and The Salvation Army, by phone, at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769), or online at www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

A memorial service for Anne will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at Wallin Funeral Home with a reception to follow. Please visit Anne’s page in the Book of Memories online at www.wallinfuneralhome.org to share memories and leave condolences.