Mill Road remembers Kris Byrne, plants tree in longtime secretary's honor

A cherry tree stood outside Kristine Byrne’s window at the primary school office at Mill Road Elementary.

“Kris would admire it from her window. It would bloom in the spring,” Erin Hayes, assistant superintendent for personnel and operations, recalled. Kris, her friends and coworkers will be quick to say, loved trees, plants and flowers.

Several years ago, the tree died and had to be taken down. However, a young tree will now grow in its place, with a plaque positioned at its base honoring Kris’ memory.

Kris Byrne, a beloved secretary for Mill Road Primary School for 36 years, died of cancer on Oct. 5, at the age of 71.

The new tree was planted and dedicated Oct. 24 during a remembrance ceremony held outside the school. Family, friends and coworkers attended.

Hayes, longtime principal of Mill Road Primary School and a close friend, led the memorial in which Kris was remembered for her empathy and heart. She was keenly observant. She loved Kindergarten graduations. She resisted cell phone. She hated, of all things, water.

“Kris loved the simple things in life,” Hayes shared. “They made her the happiest. She loved to tell stories and would eagerly listen whenever someone had one to tell. She never turned down a sweet of any kind, especially chocolate-covered cherries from Krause’s. Kris loved to celebrate birthdays and holidays, particularly Christmas. She was always generous and thoughtful in giving gifts, and found enormous joy in watching people open them.”

A selfless figure in the school community, her obituary made special reference to her time at Mill Road.

“She loved her work and the kids she had the pleasure of interacting with on a daily basis. She was instrumental in sharing her love of monarch butterflies – and would foster their hatching and shared that experience with the students, as well as her grandchildren.”

Kris’ husband of 49 years, James, attended, as did their daughter, Jennifer, son-in-law Ben, and grandchildren Griffin and Madyn. Hayes addressed each of them individually, sharing personal reflections.

“Know that her life was well-spent,” Hayes said. “It was well-served and she will always be remembered with a great deal of fondness and affection by her family at Mill Road.”