Jean V. (Kenny) Tallon-Boyle
Jean Tallon-Boyle Obituary
Jean Veronica Kenny Tallon-Boyle, mother of eight children and coloratura soprano, finished her earthly life on the 14th of August, 2019 at CareOne in Northampton, Massachusetts at the age of 92. She was born on the 1st of April, 1927 to Veronica Colclough Kenny and Charles Hamill Kenny in Brooklyn, New York.
She was preceeded in death by her parents, sister Beryl Maroney, brother Charles Kenny, husband Vincent J. Boyle, and former husband and father of her children, John E. Tallon. She leaves behind her eight children: Michael Tallon (Shirley Kucera) of Rush, New York; Christine (Eddie) Caparelli of Queensbury, New York; Susan Tallon (Dr. Edmond Byrne) of Easthampton, Massachusetts; Daniel Tallon (Lauri Dodge) of Placitas, New Mexico; Anne Tallon of Keene, New Hampshire; Veronica Tallon of Brenham, Texas; Katherine Tallon-Melouk of Beacon, New York; and Matthew Tallon (Danette Dotson) of Red Rock, Texas.
Jean also leaves her grandchildren John Charmelo, Daniel Charmelo, Sophia Tallon, Julie Trombley Grunwald (Brian Grunwald), Jeanette Trombley, Sean Maue Tallon, Keith Maue Tallon, Emilia Maue Tallon Galletto (Kevin Galletto), Yana Tallon-Hicks (Wyatt Andrews), and Rory Tallon-Hicks and her great-grandchildren Gavin Trombley, Natalie Grunwald, Sydney Charmelo, Quinn Galletto, and Rocko Katz Andrews. Her nieces and nephews include Kathleen Hancock, Charlie Kenny, M.D., Robert Maroney, and Judith MacDonald.
At a fairly young age, Jean's generosity and thoughtfulness were evident. She had a proclivity to give things away to those less fortunate. She said that her mother wasn't very happy when she told her that she had given away her Shirley Temple doll. And she kept a note written by her mother in which she tells Jean not to give her peach away at school.
Jean attended The Juilliard School in the late 1940s and trained as a coloratura soprano. She had a beautiful voice, loved to sing and had many fond memories of her time spent there. Later in life she and one of her piano accompanists from Juilliard would reconnect and he arranged the transfer of a 1948 recording of her singing various classical pieces to CD. It brought her great happiness.
She and John married on the 27th of May, 1950 and honeymooned in Rangeley, Maine. Later in their marriage they would return there for summer vacations with their children. The family would stay in a cabin at Sam-O-Set Camps on the shore of Rangeley Lake. They enjoyed many memorable activities there: swimming and fishing in the lake, hiking on mountain trails, visiting Pine Tree Frosty, watching the Black Bears foraging at the local dump, among others.
By December of 1962, she had had eight children and the focus of her life was the care of her family and their new home in East Northport, New York. Soon after, she started working part-time outside the home, arranging flowers as a creative outlet and to earn a bit of extra money. In 1969, she and her family relocated to Niskayuna, in upstate New York, and Jean began a career in real estate. She enjoyed interacting with people and had an amazing ability to see the potential in the properties she listed and sold.
In 1976, she and John, and their three youngest children moved to Spring, Texas and she continued her real estate career with Coldwell Banker and obtained her broker's license. She also worked as an agent and broker at the exclusive real estate firm Marjorie Forrest and Associates in Houston.
In 1985, she and John ended their marriage. Jean would remain in the northwest Houston area until 1992, when she purchased her own home, an historical treasure, in the tiny town of Chappell Hill, Texas. She enjoyed its renovation and putting her special touches on it. It was her "baby". She had a propensity for visiting the domestics departments of Macy's and J.C.Penney and loved to pore over the bed linens, window dressings, towels, and bath accessories. She had an eye for color and a knack for coordinating and decorating.
She enjoyed the people she would meet in the community and loved the Texas Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush that covered the ground in Spring. She attended the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Chappell Hill where she also assisted the catechism teachers. She touched many lives. Several people in the area continue to ask her daughter, Veronica, who lives in Brenham, about her and tell their own stories of her kindness, love of life, sense of humor, among many other things.
In 2003, she sold her house in Chappell Hill, and made the big move to the prestigious retirement community - The Island on Lake Travis located in Lago Vista, Texas where she would meet a special friend and her future husband, Vince Boyle. They both were born in 1927 in New York City - Jean in Brooklyn and Vince in Queens and they became the best of friends. She and Vince shared a lot of fun times and laughter together. They eventually moved to an apartment in Cedar Park, Texas where they would be married on the 7th of February, 2012 and lived until Vince died in 2013.
Shortly thereafter, Jean, with assistance from her son, Dan and his fiancee Lauri, would move to the Fairwinds Retirement Community in Rio Rancho, New Mexico which was a short drive from their home. She liked the beautiful surroundings there and, of course, decorating her new apartment.
In 2015, she returned to the New England area, and lived with her daughter, Susan, in her home in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The family is forever grateful for the care and companionship Ed Byrne provided our mother while she was living in Susan's home. Susan arranged for her to live in the lovely Lathrop Home in Northampton, Massachusetts and she lived there until a fall caused her to need surgery and it was necessary for her to move to a rehabilitation facility. She moved into CareOne in Northampton and stayed on the rehab floor there for a time and was eventually transferred to the long term care floor where she received professional and compassionate care and remained until her death.
She was an exceptional and loving woman and mother and she will be greatly missed.
Visitation will be at the Mitchell Funeral Home 15 Park Street, Easthampton, Massachusetts on Friday August 23rd 5:00-7:00pm. There will be a memorial mass at Our Lady of the Valley 33 Adams Street, Easthampton, Massachusetts on Saturday August 24th at 10:00am. Her final resting place will be with her beloved husband, Vince, in the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas.
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