Lynn A. Hurley, 64
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Lynn A. Hurley, 64, a longtime resident of Northern Berkshire County, died Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, at Beaven Kelly Rest Home in Holyoke after a long bout with cancer, with her children by her side.
Born in Bennington, Vt., nee Lynn Young, she attended local schools.
Ms. Hurley spent many years working at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. She dedicated her professional life to helping people, eventually earning her registered nurse degree, and helping to grow and strengthen the diabetes education program as a certified diabetes educator. She took great pride in her professional accomplishments, and was well respected for her contributions.
She was forced into retirement in 2003 because of a chronic pain condition. She enjoyed her time doting over her dogs — Mackenzie, Morgan, Chloe, Mia, Pickles, and Buster. She is predeceased by all but Buster, who is under the care of her ex-husband, William Hurley.
While she and her husband divorced in 1993, they remained close, and, in the opinions of their children, did a great job at co-parenting despite their separation.
Ms. Hurley was sober for more than 25 years, a tremendous accomplishment for which she worked very hard and took great pride. Her family was very proud of her dedication to "the program." Her sobriety was very important to her, and she instilled many of the principles of her recovery of self-love, patience, and determination in her children and friends.
She was a loving mother, and encouraged her children to always work hard, enjoy their accomplishments, but always strive to be and do better.
Her greatest pride was in watching her children grow into kind, decent people. Her eldest son, Brett Hurley, is a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic who has served three deployments overseas with Army. She was active in the Family Readiness Group when her son was deployed, making many friends and helping the families of the deployed soldiers in the process.
Her youngest son, Jason Hurley, is an accounting supervisor working in Connecticut. She was instrumental in encouraging him to get his master's degree in accountancy at Bentley University, and took great joy in watching his career progress.
Since her cancer diagnosis, Ms. Hurley was under the care of several wonderful health-care providers, including the staffs of the former North Adams Regional Hospital, Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, D'Amour Center for Cancer Care, Birch Manor Nursing Home, and Mercy Hospice.
Her family would like to extend a special thanks to the staff at Beaven Kelly Rest Home, who treated Ms. Hurley with tremendous kindness and dignity in her final days.
Besides her former husband and her sons, she leaves her beloved daughters-in-law, Brett's wife, Sarah Hurley, and Jason's wife, Jennifer LaValley Hurley; two sisters, Gillian Freemyer Wilson and Cheryl Spraker; a brother-in-law, Donald Hamilton; five nieces Courtney Hamilton, Kristie Beam, Kayla Wilson, Tammy Galt and Melissa Charron; a nephew Trevor Kleiner; and dear friends Barbara Meczywor, Paul Clermont, Joyce O'Brien and Dan Perreault.
She was predeceased by her sister, Kathy Hamilton, brothers Ronald Freemyer and Patrick Young, and nephew Michael Young.
FUNERAL NOTICE — Calling hours for Ms. Hurley will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 19, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with a brief service to follow at Cierpial Funeral Home, 69 East St., Chicopee. A celebration of life luncheon will be held in her honor at the Freight Yard Pub in North Adams on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 to 5.
Because of her love of animals, Ms. Hurley wished that in lieu of flowers, any memorial gifts be made in her honor to Eleanor Sonsini Animal Shelter, 63 Downing Parkway, Pittsfield MA, 01201.