Obituary of Avery Joanna Hersom

Avery Joanna Hersom, 12, of Glastonbury passed away peacefully in the comfort of her parent’s arms on Friday, March 4. She was the beloved daughter of Andrew and Leslie (Breen) Hersom. For 11 years, Avery bravely battled a rare genetic disease, Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome, which stole most of her physical abilities. Nevertheless, Avery lit up every room with her beautiful smile, infectious laugh and incredible sense of humor.

Avery’s greatest joy was spending time with her family, especially her older brothers, Colin and Max, who could make her laugh more than anyone else. She enjoyed watching animated movies with her favorite being “Frozen”. Avery loved going to school as it was her happy place, particularly Buttonball Lane Elementary School, which she attended for six years. A special thank you to the Glastonbury Public Schools system and its dedicated staff, for the extensive opportunities provided to Avery. Specifically, a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Jess Cave, whose devotion to her at school was exceptional, and whom Avery adored.

In addition to her parents and brothers, Avery is survived by her maternal grandmother Joyce Cyr (Leo) of Manchester, CT; maternal grandfather Thomas Breen, Jr. (Kimberly) of Harwich, MA; paternal grandmother Annaliese Hersom of Norwalk, CT. She was predeceased by her paternal grandfather Richard Hersom. Avery is also survived by several aunts and uncles: Thomas Breen III (Diosmedy) of South Windsor, CT; James Breen (Nichole) of Glastonbury CT; Lynn Besthoff (Len) of South Windsor, CT; Amy Leibowitz (Jon) of Wellesley, MA and Walter Hersom (Cheryl) of Bergen, NY. Avery will be greatly missed by her first cousins: Sarah and Andrew Breen; Emma Breen; Lauren and Olivia Besthoff; Alison and Zach Leibowitz; Anna, Hope, Frank and Sam Hersom. Avery will also be greatly missed by her great aunt Joanna Stuart of Bridgewater, CT and her godfather Aberre Broome of White Plains, MD.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, March 10 from 4-7pm at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave. in Glastonbury. A private burial will be held the following day. All family and friends are also invited to a memorial service to be held the following week for a celebration of Avery’s life on Friday, March 18 from 5-6pm at the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury, 949 Main St. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to Buttonball Lane Elementary School c/o Avery Hersom Memoriam, 376 Buttonball Lane, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Checks should be made out to “GPS Student Activities – Buttonball”. For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com