Thelma M. McDyer

East Longmeadow - Thelma M. McDyer, 95, passed away on February 9, 2020 at Sunrise of Richmond in Richmond VA. Born on September 5, 1924 in Detroit MI to the late Arthur Mark and Myrtle (Ruzanski) Warner, she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Marygrove College, Detroit in 1944 and worked at Ethyl Corporation as a chemist. She met her husband Joe, a childhood crush, in her Detroit neighborhood and later reconnected with him after WWII, marrying in 1948. Together they had a loving family with six children enjoying camping trips to Cape Cod, White Lake State Park in NH. Thelma always had a movie camera in front of her face documenting her family’s joys and thankfully so as it gives us all such pleasure to look back at the wonderful life she gave us. Thelma later obtained her Certificate in Education at Westfield State College after which she taught math at Kiley Middle School in Springfield for 20 years. She was a faithful communicant of St Michael’s Parish in East Longmeadow as well as member and president of the St Michael’s Catholic Women’s Club. She was very active as a lay educator in the CCD program and participant in numerous church volunteer activities. Thelma enjoyed an active life playing bridge, golf, dancing. She was president of the East Longmeadow Democratic committee in her early years. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her beloved husband of 68 years, Joseph R McDyer who passed away in February of 2017 and her siblings Clifford Warner, Mark Warner, Marilyn Deprest and Nancy Warner. To cherish her memory, Thelma leaves her sister Carol Yott of Long Beach, MS ; children Martha G. McDyer of Mechanicsville VA, Genevieve M. Bush (William) of Mechanicsville VA, David F. McDyer (Ellen) of Aston, PA, Joseph P. McDyer (Gay) of Feeding Hills, MA, Peter A. McDyer (Debra) of Southwick, MA and Julie L. Chirumbole (Frank) of Katy, TX; her grandchildren Emily Davis, Jonathan Bush, Elizabeth, Francis, Mary and John McDyer, Shannon Daily, Joseph J. McDyer, Peter and Kevin McDyer, Danielle, Anthony and Michael Chirumbole as well as great grandchildren Olivia, Kaitrin, Josephine, Jack, Boyd and Nolan. Family and friends are invited to gather on Friday, March 13, 2020 from 9:30 – 10:30 am at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main Street, East Longmeadow followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11:30 am at St. Michael’s Parish 128 Maple St., East Longmeadow. Committal Services will follow in the Chapel at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Agawam at 1 pm. Memorial donations may be made in Thelma’s memory to St Michael’s Parish, 128 Maple St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. For more information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.forastiere.com