Gracemarie Harley Hayner

Gracemarie (Harley) Hayner, beloved wife of Richard J. Hayner and daughter of the late Clifton and Grace (Thomas) Harley, passed away on Wednesday September 11, 2013 at the age of 80. She grew up in Bloomfield, CT and graduated from Bloomfield High School as one of 50 students in the year 1950; they were known as the "Nifty Fifty."

She met her husband-to-be on a blind date arranged by mutual friends, Jean and Paul Berger, and went to dinner and dancing. She began Ballet dancing at age five and she and her husband danced their way through life doing square dancing, country western, polka, Cajun, swing, and ballroom until just months before she passed away. A special dancing memory they shared was dancing the Blue Danube Waltz to the music of a Romanian band on a Bulgarian boat cruising on the Blue Danube River between Vienna and Budapest.

Mrs. Hayner worked as a teacher's aid in Southington, CT after her children graduated from high school, where she became interested in sign language. Upon learning the language, she volunteered at the American School for the Deaf, after which she was hired to work with the deaf and disabled children for ten plus years. After retirement, she and her husband volunteered at Habitat for Humanity, helping build houses in the Hartford area for another 10 years.

Gracemarie leaves behind her beloved husband Richard Hayner after 58 wonderful years of marriage; three devoted children: Anne E. Hayner of North Attleboro, MA; Mark R. Hayner and his wife Cathleen (Dowler) Hayner of Bedford, NH; John C. Hayner and his wife Laura (Watts) Hayner of Bristol, CT and five remarkable grandchildren: Kady Hayner, Kristie Hayner, Nikki Hayner, Jason Dobbins and Justin Dobbins.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Beacon Hospice, 111 Founders Plaza, 1st Floor #102 East Hartford, CT 06108 or to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave.,7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday September 22, 2013 at the Plantsville Funeral Home, 975 S. Main St., Plantsville. Burial will follow in Wonx Spring Cemetery, Plantsville. Calling hours will be held before the service from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home. For online condolences and directions, please visit www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com.

FUNERAL SERVICES

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Beacon Hospice, 111 Founders Plaza, 1st Floor #102 East Hartford, CT 06108 or to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave. ,7th Floor, New York, NY 10001.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday September 22, 2013 at the Plantsville Funeral Home, 975 S. Main St., Plantsville. Burial will follow in Wonx Spring Cemetery, Plantsville. Calling hours will be held before the service from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.