Edith M.G. Hurd

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Edith Marie Germane Hurd, a Vineyard Haven resident and businesswoman since 1990, died on May 4, 2011, in Falmouth from pneumonia after earlier surgery for a broken hip. Mrs. Hurd had operated Nancy’s Auberge since 1990.

Born on August 8, 1926, in Columbia, Missouri to Professor Charles Germane and Edith Gayton Germane, she began violin lessons at age four and continued to play, especially in chamber groups and school orchestras, all through her years at Stephens College and at the University of Missouri. Her parents were nationally known educators and authors, and Edith graduated in education in 1947, becoming a teacher, first in New Hampton, N.H., and then in White Plains, N.Y.

She was married to Kenneth Badger Hurd Jr. on August 28, 1948, in Greenwich, Conn. The couple lived in Elmsford, N.Y., in Belvedere, Calif., and in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.

Surviving her are their four sons: Kenneth Badger Hurd III of Vineyard Haven, Steven Kimball Hurd of Aromas, Calif., Ravi Das Singh Khalsa and his wife, Siri Shiva Kaur Khalsa, of Broomfield, Colo., and Jeffrey Gayton Hurd of Vineyard Haven. Also surviving are four grandsons: Kenneth Badger Hurd IV, Samuel Bunting Hurd, Colin Ross Hurd, and Hari Parkash Singh Khals and her niece, Charlotte Germane of Nevada City, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her older brother, Gayton Germane of Stanford University, and her nephew, Bruce Germane.

Other survivors include her Canadian cousins of her mother’s Gayton family.

Edith (also known as “Tookie”) created a successful family business of Flowers of the Week during the years that the family lived in Briarcliff Manor. She moved to Vineyard Haven in 1990 and began her bed and breakfast, Nancy’s Auberge, which she operated until 2005. She was a well-known biking enthusiast, and enjoyed taking her grandchildren, one by one, to a weekend in New York to attend the Metropolitan Opera.

During the off-season, she was an adventurous solo traveler to Shanghai, India, Greece, Russia, and also frequently to her favorite destination, Paris. A devoted and life-long fan of classical music, opera in particular, she managed to hear opera in many places, including Prague, and at La Scala. In her last years, watching sunsets from Owen Park near her home was an inspiration to her. Her love of birds and her care of them as well as of a series of dogs typified her concern for the natural world.

She belonged to the Episcopal Church. She was listed in Who’s Who of American Women, 16th edition. Her college sorority was Kappa Kappa Gamma. She leaves friends in many states and other countries, including those who had stayed with her and had enjoyed her special cuisine and charming hospitality. She brought competence, imagination, and artistry to all of her endeavors and joy to her relationships.

Her memory will be deeply cherished by her family and her circle of friends.

The memorial will be private. The family suggests contributions in her name be made to those organizations that care for animals.