Remembering Alyne Massey: A Founder of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Alyne Massey, a dedicated community leader, philanthropist and founder of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, passed away on September 11, at her home in Nashville. The Community Foundation’s thoughts and sympathy are with the family and friends of Alyne Massey.
Alyne’s leadership was pivotal in the creation of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee in 1991 – her vision helped generate the enthusiasm and generosity that led to our founding.
“But for Alyne Massey's generosity and love for this community, there would be no Community Foundation,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Alyne’s generosity knew no bounds. Her championing of The Community Foundation’s mission has ensured our ability to promote and facilitate philanthropy to improve the quality of life in our community, something Alyne practiced every day. We are honored to be part of her legacy.”
Through our Founder’s Fund, she helped lay the cornerstone for The Community Foundation’s grantmaking, by helping us build a pool of unrestricted endowment funds for future grantmaking to support the broadest range of charitable needs and opportunities for Middle Tennessee.
In addition to her tireless work to create The Community Foundation, Alyne established three charitable funds to support causes close to her heart, including the preservation of St. John’s Church and Cemetery and its architectural and history integrity. Through the Lucille Courtney Memorial Fund for St. John Church, Alyne and Elizabeth Queener commemorated the life of their sister, Lucille Courtney, and also protected the rich history of the resting place for many noted Episcopal bishops and Civil War Generals.
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The following is the obituary sent by her family, as reported by the Nashville Scene:
Alyne Queener Armistead Massey of Nashville, Tennessee passed away on September 11 at home, surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Massey was a community leader and philanthropist who was infinitely generous with her time and talents, her intellect, her hospitality, her humor and her loving support of family and friends.
Throughout her life, she was a champion of countless nonprofits. Her caring nature and proactive approach resulted in a lifetime of accomplishments benefitting numerous people and organizations.
Mrs. Massey was born in New Haven, Connecticut where her father, the late Millard E. Queener attended Yale Law School. Her mother was the late Adeline Frierson Armstrong Queener. Mrs. Massey was preceded in death by her husband Jack Carroll Massey and her sister, Lucille Frierson Queener Courtney.
Mrs. Massey is survived by her sons, Leonard Hearne (Bill) Armistead III and Robert Hunter Frierson (Bob) Armistead and her sister, Elizabeth Myers Queener.
She also is survived by her grandchildren: Stephanie Alyne (Aly) Armistead, Massey Frierson Armistead, Anne Parkes Armistead and Lewis Addison Armistead V; her nieces and nephews: Richard Gordon Courtney, Elizabeth Currey Courtney, Gale Courtney Moore, Father Robin S. Courtney, Jr., Hunter Armistead, Jr. and Benjamin C. Armistead and her sister-in-law Claire C. Armistead.
Mrs. Massey was raised in Columbia, Tennessee, educated at Ward-Belmont Preparatory School and graduated from Vanderbilt University where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. In addition to Nashville, she had resided in Franklin, Tennessee and Palm Beach, Florida during her life.
She was married to the late Leonard Hearne Armistead, Jr. And thereafter to Mr. Massey, who established the Alyne Queener Massey Library at Vanderbilt University in her honor.
Mrs. Massey’s professional achievements include having served as a former reporter with the Nashville Banner and subsequently, as the Director of the Womens’ Division of Commerce Union Bank. She was the first woman to be elected to the board of trust of Third National Bank and served on the board of Volunteer Capital Corporation.
She also formerly served on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust and on the boards of the Vanderbilt Heart Institute, the Kennedy Center at Vanderbilt, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art, the Preservation Society of Palm Beach, the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach and the Blair House in Washington, D.C.
Mrs. Massey was a founder of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. She was an avid supporter of Battle Ground Academy, Planned Parenthood and of the Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee where she established the Jack. C. Massey Leadership Award dinner. She was also a member of the Colonial Dames of America, the Garden Club of America, the Garden Club of Nashville, the Belle Meade Country Club of Nashville, the Centennial Club of Nashville, the Bath and Tennis Club of Palm Beach, the Everglades Club of Palm Beach, the Meadow Club of Southampton, N.Y., the Bathing Club of Southampton and the Colony Club of New York.
A memorial service will be held for Mrs. Massey at the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville at [TBD] conducted by the Reverend Todd B. Jones.
Ushers will be John Anderson, the Hon. John Bailey of Palm Beach, Dr. Robert Goucher of San Francisco, Jack M. Bass, Martin Brown, William Benjamin of Palm Beach, Brownlee Currey, Hon. Winfield Dunn, Henry Hooker, Sidney McAlister, William Tyne of London, William Pannill of Palm Beach, Robert Sterling of Palm Beach, John Schuler of Palm Beach, Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos and members of the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.
A private service will be held for Mrs. Massey at a later date at the family mausoleum at historic Zion Presbyterian Church in Columbia, Tennessee, which was established by her family in 1805. She will be the eighth generation of her family to be interred there. The service will be conducted by Reverend Robin S. Courtney, Jr.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Vanderbilt University School of Law or the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art.