Angelike Thalia Constantine Byers, age 87, entered eternal rest on Nov. 3, 2020, surrounded by family.

Angelike (Ann) was born on Feb. 9, 1933, in Saco, Maine, the youngest of five children born to Jordan and Marika Constantine, recent immigrants from Piraeus, Greece. Ann attended Thornton Academy in Saco, and upon graduation, was encouraged by Dr. Sargent Jealous, a local physician and father figure, to embark on a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. In 1951, she departed Saco for Washington D.C. and began work at the Department of State in the Office of Protocol. Her ultimate plans for the Foreign Service were transformed however when she met the great love of her life, John North Byers.

On June 2, 1956, Ann and John were married in Washington, D.C. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, K Street, a parish that became central to Ann’s Christian formation and life long commitment to faith and service. Ann and John started their family in 1958, at which time Ann found her true calling as a homemaker and volunteer. Throughout the years and many relocations (Springfield, Virginia; Decatur, Georgia; Lewisville, Texas; McHenry, Illinois; Annapolis, Maryland) Ann’s constancy as a devoted wife, loving mother and volunteer was a gift to all. As a servant of her church, Ann was never without a role. Her beautiful alto voice graced the choir of each and every parish, and her quiet devotion on numerous altar guilds brought beauty to every sacred space she touched. Her demonstrable love for humanity brought comfort to those who suffered, meals to those who hungered and aid to anyone she recognized to be in need.

Ann’s deep commitment to the charitable organizations she served was an example of faith in action. She was a tireless advocate for voter registration through her work with the McHenry County (IL) League of Women Voters. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels in Illinois and Maryland — a commitment to which she was profoundly devoted. Delivering meals to the home bound and the elderly brought her great happiness, and she was often reported “missing in action” when she would stay and visit with those she served a bit longer than planned. One of Ann’s many gifts was the ability to form authentic connections with people, and in these instances she responded with sustenance for both body and soul.

Ann was proud of her many years of service to the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, where she chaired the Friends of the ASO and led their signature fundraising event, “Jazzfest.” She served as a member of the board of the Maryland Federation of Art, an affiliation that brought her great joy and many wonderful friends. While she was certainly known for her dedication and organizational skills, she also brought her ebullient personality and infectious laugh to many a board meeting, and is remembered by those with whom she served as a spirit of great optimism, especially in challenging times.

An avid sports enthusiast, Ann played on several teams in high school, was a member of the State Department Women’s Basketball Team in the 1950s, and a regular golfer in her younger years. She was an active follower of the local sports teams, but possessed a legendary “Die Hard” devotion to the Chicago Cubs. She began following the team in the 1940s, when the radio broadcasts expanded beyond the Midwest, but when the family moved to Chicago in the 1970s, she went all in. In the days before iPhones, golfers passing by her fairway home counted on her to display the big “W” flag to know if the Cubs had been victorious. She rarely missed a game, and read every word of analysis offered by the newspaper each day, even, at times, agreeing with it. She never gave up hope, and was rewarded with what was truly one of her life’s most joyous moments in 2016, when the team won the World Series after so many years.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, John, her brother, Charles and sisters Barbara, Katherine, and Theresa. She is survived by her two children, Catherine Squires (Nancy Manchester) of Westport, Massachusetts, and Timothy Byers (Sherri) of McHenry, Illinois, four grandsons, Graham and Ian Squires, of Chicago, Illinois, and Christopher and Alek Byers, of McHenry, Illinois, as well as numerous nephews, nieces, great nephews and nieces, and five great grandnephews and nieces.

A celebration of Ann’s life is being planned for early December. She will be interred at All Hallows Episcopal Church Cemetery in Davidsonville, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts in her memory be made either to the Angelike Constantine Byers Endowment at Thornton Academy (438 Main St., Saco, ME 04072, www.thorntonacademy.org), or the Meals on Wheels Foundation of Northern Illinois (www.mowfni.org).

Colonial Funeral Home of McHenry, Illinois is assisting Ann’s Family. Any questions please visit www.colonialmchenry.com or call 815-385-0063.

Comments are not available on this story.