Leeds , MA – Anne Chenoweth “Chen” Mersereau Byers died peacefully in her sleep the morning of March 29, 2026. Her radiant smile and piercing eyes blessed all who were fortunate to be with her during her last days. Chen often remarked that she had a great life with no regrets and no aches and pains. Above all, she loved being a mom. From the moment each of us emerged, until her last breath, she held each of us in her heart.
Born January 27, 1933, in Philadelphia, Chen spent most of her childhood in the DC area. During WWII, she and her family lived on a farm in Virginia where her favorite job was rounding up the cows on horseback. Her least favorite job was adding yellow dye to lard because real butter was reserved for the troops in Europe.
Chen attended Sidwell Friends School where she made lifelong friends, including her future sister-in-law. Majoring in Religion at Smith College, she developed her open, curious mind that served her well throughout her life. She was a fierce advocate for the environment, a woman’s right to choose, immigrants, and the underserved. In her 40s, she earned a Master’s in Psychology from the College of New Rochelle and served as a bi-lingual school psychologist in Port Chester, NY and New York City into her 70s.
Chen was a lively, fun, and adventurous person. In her early 20s, she flew across the country in a two-seater with her brother, landing in farm fields on the way. As an 83-year-old, she went on safari in Africa. Most significantly for the writers of this obit, when she was 25, she traveled through Europe and the Middle East, ending up in Spain where she met up with a charming bachelor, Benjamin D. Byers, our father. They spent two weeks together, riding horses across the plains, whereupon he proposed to her.
After sojourns in Spain (where her first two children were born), Connecticut (where her third child was born), and Puerto Rico, the family settled in Larchmont, NY, Chen’s beloved hometown for over 50 years. Larchmont is where she raised us and was active in several volunteer organizations including the League of Women Voters and the Woman’s Club of Larchmont. In the early 1970s, she was a founder of the Local Involvement for the Environment (L.I.F.E.) Center. She especially loved her strong group of women friends, including her Spirit Group.
Mostly, Chen will be remembered as a beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. Her children’s friends loved attending Chen’s dinner salons where conversation and healthy debate were the norm. She was ever-curious, accessible, and easy to talk with. She will be deeply missed.
Chen is survived by her three children, Benjamin Crosby Byers of San Francisco, Susana Barret Byers (Peter Steinberg) of Easthampton, MA, Randolph Lloyd Byers (Belen Mora) of San Carlos, CA, her three grandsons, Mateo, Marco, and Luca, her sister-in-law, Shirley Mersereau, and many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank Dr. Rebecca Starr for her impeccable care, the staff at Lathrop Retirement Community and Linda Manor Assisted Living for their compassion and attentiveness, and Cooley Dickinson VNA Hospice for making the last weeks of Chen’s life comfortable. You not only took care of Chen, but held the family in your care as well.
Donations can be made in Chen’s name to Planned Parenthood, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, or the environmental organization of your choice. The family plans to hold a memorial for Chen on June 20th; contact the family for details.
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