Obituary: Rebecca (Becky) Ayres

November 16, 1926 – November 18, 2024

Longtime Aspen resident Becky Ayres died peacefully at her home in Meadowood on November 18, 2024 after a brief illness.

Becky was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the youngest of five children of Richard and Mary Thatcher. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1948, following her mother and her two older sisters, and remained an active alumna, staying in touch with classmates and attending reunions until she was no longer able to travel.

In 1948 she married R. William Ayres, Jr. Becky and Bill spent their adult years in Schenectady, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh, Hamilton, Ohio and Racine, Wisconsin before moving to Aspen in 1988 to a retirement home that they had built in Meadowood in 1980. In 1998 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Aspen Institute, surrounded by family and friends.

Besides raising her four children, Becky was an active volunteer in the Episcopal Church in every community in which the family lived. She also volunteered at local hospitals and social service organizations.

While living in Hamilton in the 1970s, Becky earned an MA from Miami University of Ohio and worked as an executive recruiter for a local firm. In Racine during the 1980s she worked as a residential real estate agent.

Becky and Bill spent their retirement years skiing, hiking and volunteering in Aspen. Together they founded St. Peter’s of the Valley Episcopal Church in Basalt and helped it grow to become a flourishing congregation. Becky was a tireless volunteer at Aspen Valley Hospital well into her 90s. In 2015, her 26 years of service to the Hospital were recognized in a special Proclamation by the Pitkin County Board of Commissioners. Becky was also a board member of Independent Seniors.

All the while, Becky’s home in Meadowood was regularly filled with family and friends who came for skiing in the winter and for hiking and concerts at the Music Tent in the summer.

Becky leaves three children: Russell Ayres (Kathy) of Pittsburgh, PA and Stockbridge, MA; Rev. Stephen Ayres (Lisa) of Basalt CO; Nancy Friel (Michael) of Portland, OR; and seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her daughter, Carolyn Newell, died earlier this year.

The family asks that memorial gifts be made to St. Peter’s of the Valley Episcopal Church, 200 Elk Run Drive, Basalt CO 81621, or to Aspen Valley Hospital, 401 Castle Creek Road, Aspen CO 81611. A memorial service will be scheduled at St. Peter’s of the Valley, Basalt, on January 18 at 4:00 PM.