Dorothy Jean Byrne's Obituary
Dorothy Jean Byrne, nee Conway, better known as Dot, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 30, 1927, to Martha Tomm Conway and Charles M. Conway. Tomboyish, Dot broke an arm at an early age and led her younger brothers, Paul and Dave, into pranks they probably regretted. On Sundays, the kids set themselves straight at the Nazarene church, where their mother played the piano with gusto. Dot became a beauty in her teens and looked every bit the movie star in the wasp-waisted fashions of the day. She met George Byrne while he was working at Dolde’s, a local convenience store in Wilkinsburg, and they married on November 15, 1947. Daughter Karen was born a year later. When second daughter Sharon was due in 1956, the family moved to Monroeville in search of more space and fresh air. Every summer, the Byrnes took legendary vacations that crisscrossed America, visiting 43 of the 48 continental US states. Later, Dot and George visited Hawaii, Europe, and Pakistan, where their first grandchild was born. Over the ensuing years, three more grandchildren and two great-grandchildren joined the family. Dot and George became snowbirds in the mid-1980s and eventually made a permanent move to Florida. After George died in 2010, Dot moved to the Austin, Texas, vicinity to be lovingly cared for by family there until the end of her life. She is survived by daughters Karen Byrne and Sharon Byrne Fraser; grandchildren Kyla Pasha, Kelcey Fraser, Korey Dixon, and Kevin Fraser; and great-grandchildren Row Dixon and Rooney Dixon.
Dot was a lover of clouds. While living in Florida, she would often step outside to enjoy a vivid sunrise or sunset blessed by fluffy cumulus, or to marvel at rainclouds rolling in from the Gulf to deliver a quick downpour on a steamy afternoon. In memory of Dot, and in lieu of flowers, please consider visiting the Cloud Appreciation Society (https://cloudappreciationsociety.org), where you can order an educational item for a child you love, download a piece of cloud art, or just watch a video reminding you to look up and slow down.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 4th at 10AM at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in the Administration Building Chapel, 401 Curry Hollow Road Pittsburgh, PA 15236.
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