Agnes O'Byrne

Agnes O'Byrne passed away on July 3, 2026, at the age of 91, having spent nearly every one of those years in motion. Even into her late 80s she was known to set off on a 12-mile walk the way most people set off for the mailbox.

Born and raised in North Dakota, Agnes carried the strength and steadiness of that upbringing with her everywhere she went — through Kansas, New Jersey, and Wyoming with her first husband, then New Jersey and Arizona (her happy place) with her second, and finally to North Carolina for the last decade of her life. She made friends everywhere she landed, in part because she was warm and easy to talk to, and in part because she had a way of convincing the people around her to join her for a walk.

She spent the majority of her life as a teacher, with a particular gift for reaching the students who needed her most. She believed in people, especially the ones who didn't quite believe in themselves yet, and she had a way of nudging them forward without ever making them feel small. She was the kind of teacher you remember for life.

Agnes was never one for small talk. She said what she thought, plainly and honestly, and people always knew where they stood with her. She was also a devoted runner, and a frequent age-group winner at local 5k races, especially the Turkey Trots she loved running with her son Aryl and his family. She had a gift for encouraging others to get moving too, usually by example, and always with a lot of enthusiasm.

Underneath it all, she was someone people trusted with their problems — a good listener with a strong faith, a quick wit, and a lifelong devotion to a bowl of vanilla ice cream, which she considered a personal food group.

She is survived by her son, Aryl, and daughter-in-law Beverly, and their children, Alix, Andie, and Zane; her daughter, Dorena, and son-in-law Gerry, and their children, Drew, Ashlyn, and Barrett; and her sister, Donna Miller.

A Service of Death & Resurrection will be held on August 1st at 2:00 PM at Saint Francis United Methodist Church, Cary, NC. Of course, there will be ice cream afterwards!

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Parkinson's Foundation (parkinson.org) or to Saint Francis United Methodist Church, Cary, NC.