Amy Elizabeth Lister, 61, beloved daughter, cherished sister, loving aunt, caring wife, loyal friend, respected colleague, and dedicated physician died peacefully on January 14th after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease, and the health toll taken by lifelong juvenile (Type 1) diabetes.
Amy was born in Boston, MA, the daughter of the late Julius Lister, MD, and the late Jean M. Jenkins Lister. She is survived by her three siblings, David, James and his wife Carol, Jennifer and her husband Anthony, her six nieces and nephews, her husband, Joseph Therrien, and her many cousins in the US and in the UK whom Amy adored.
Raised in Weston, MA, Amy attended the Winsor School and graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy before earning her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College. After graduation, Amy started her career in banking in New York City. Looking for a deeper purpose, Amy returned to Bryn Mawr College to complete a Postbaccalaureate Program in Premedical Studies before earning her medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Amy completed her triple-board residency training in Pediatrics, General Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City after which she commenced her medical practice in Burlington, VT.
In 2005, Amy made her way back to the Boston area and, over the ensuing 18 years, provided skilled psychiatric and mental health care to countless children, adolescents, and adults in various positions at the Hallowell Center in Sudbury, MA, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council, the North Star Guidance Center, the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Massachusetts Partnership for Correctional Healthcare and Cushing Academy.
The eldest of 4 children, Amy was always a voracious reader and an excellent student. Amy relished her summers in Maine at the Alford Lake Camp, where she hiked the Appalachian Mountain Trail, canoed the Allagash River, and pursued her passion for horseback riding. Her love of New England and the outdoors was cemented during these years. Amy learned to ski at an early age on family weekends at Mittersill in Franconia Notch, NH and remained an enthusiastic, adept, and graceful skier throughout her life. Amy loved to travel the world and spent her junior year in college studying in Paris. This may be when she became a “foodie”. Amy had an extraordinary palette and a passion for food – the flavors, the variety, the nuance of taste, the process of preparation, and the sheer pleasure of seeing others enjoy her gourmet creations. Above all, Amy was kind, sweet, compassionate, nurturing, and loyal and was loved by all who knew her. She was a great listener, an astute observer, and cherished her relationships with family and friends. These traits, combined with her sharp intellect, made Amy a truly amazing and unique individual.
Less obvious is how brave and stubbornly resilient Amy was in the face of her lifelong health challenges. Without self-pity, and with a determination to overcome every obstacle, Amy lived her life to the fullest, accomplished so much, loved with all her heart, and remained committed to caring for her patients until her final days. Amy profoundly touched the lives of so many in the beautiful, yet too-short, life she lived.
A service to celebrate Amy's life will be held on February 10th at 11:00am at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Weston, MA with a reception immediately following at the Weston Art & Innovation Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Amy’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Foundation or to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.