September 25, 2024
Anne Briner Supper of Hingham, formerly of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Sherborn and Chatham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on September 18, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was holding her beloved husband Lee’s hand, and had been surrounded by family. Anne was 85.
Born on March 20, 1939, Anne was a proud member of a Navy aviation family. Her father, Captain Richard “Rip” Briner (USN retired) and mother, Dorothy Shearer Briner, raised Anne and her younger brother Dick on Naval aviation bases across the US and Philippines. She attended William Tennent High School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where she graduated class valedictorian.
Anne attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where she continued to excel academically, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa—a rightful source of pride for Anne, who enjoyed teasing her immediate loved ones with smiling eyes that she was “still the only Phi Beta Kappa in the family.” Anne was an active member of Chi Omega, where she met many lifelong friends; she was a double English major and biology minor, and overall an exceptional presence on campus.
Within her first week at Dickinson, Anne met the love of her life, Lee Supper, and surprised him by proposing mid-way through her senior year. They married at the Dickinson Chapel early the following July of 1961 after her graduation, then moved to the suburbs of Boston where they shared the next 64 years together. Anne quickly settled into New England life, finding a passion for laying beautiful brick patios and walkways at their homes in Sherborn and Chatham, nurturing her massive gardens, and delighting in bartering the fruits of her labor for meat with the local butcher.
Social by nature, Anne met lots of people and many dear friends in Sherborn, where she and Lee lived for 38 years and raised daughters Nancy and Caty. She was an active book and garden club member, an avid tennis player, and a talented flower arranger who regularly crafted beautiful arrangements for the church and friends’ special occasions. An excellent cook and Julia Child devotee, Anne loved to host big dinner parties with good friends—some of whom were known to travel across state borders to delight in her signature dishes and laughter, and always extremely articulate and spirited conversation. Early on, she was also a sought-after English substitute teacher, a role that her children and grandchildren later benefited from when she enthusiastically “helped” them with their grammar.
Anne also was a very talented artist—she drew and painted beautiful pictures of family, friends, flowers and a long line of golden retrievers. She enjoyed spending summers in Chatham, where they retired for 15 years. There Anne loved to dig for clams and lobster off of their boat, the “Annie B,” in Nantucket Sound. During this time, visitors could always count on a huge platter of cherrystones welcoming them to their home on Oyster Pond, followed by a steaming lobster dinner. Later on, she enjoyed hosting her grandchildren in Chatham, and sharing with them her love of gardens and the ocean.
Anne was passionately devoted to her family and is remembered as a giving and caring friend whose smile, laugh and conversation brightened the room. Anne is survived by her husband Lee, daughters Nancy Fitts (Cubby) and Caty Fortuin (Matt), and five grandchildren Charlie, Susie, Abby, Ellie and Hannah; sister-in-law Carol M. Briner and nephews Rich Briner (Annette) and John Briner (Bryn). She was also predeceased by her brother Dick and daughter Karen. We will miss Annie with all of our hearts for the rest of our lives and feel so grateful for the time we had together.
A funeral service will take place Wednesday, October 16, 11am at the Hingham Congregational Church, 378 Main Street, Hingham MA. The service will be followed by a reception at The Quarry, 415 Whiting Street, Hingham. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. For more information and online guestbook go to www.downingchapel.com