AUBURN — Jacqueline Roy Bayer, 60, a resident of Forest Circle, Jay, passed from the loving embrace of her family into the arms of God on Thursday, June 24, at Hospice House of Androscoggin after a courageous battle with cancer.

Jackie was born Nov. 15, 1949, the daughter of Eugene and Theresa (Deroches) Roy. She attended St. Rose elementary school in Jay and graduated from Jay High School, Class of 1968. After high school she attended PLUS Secretarial School in Portland.

In 1970, she married Dana Brann and together with their son Jason, they lived in Brunswick. Tragically Dana died in a scuba diving accident in 1974. She and Jason then won the heart of Mark Bayer. She and Mark were married at St. Rose de Lima church in Jay on April 16, 1977.

She , Mark, and Jason moved to Ticonderoga, N.Y., in 1977. She thrived in the small Adirondack town and made long and lasting friendships. While in Ticonderoga, she gave birth to their daughter, Rebecca. On most sunny summer days she, Jason, and Rebecca could be found playing in the sand of the “Ti” beach on the Northern end of Lake George.

In 1982, the family moved to Shelton, Conn., and while Mark commuted daily into New York, she and the kids were discovering life in the suburbs, a far cry from previous experiences.

In 1984, Mark was given the options of moving to Alabama or back to Jay; Jackie cast the deciding vote, and back to her home town they came. Maine gave her those items that she always held dear; family, small town values, more time at her camp on Toddy Pond in Surry, afternoon rides along the coast, and skiing at Sugarloaf.

Always in love with beaches, warm summer days would find the family filling the cooler with ice, sodas, brownies and ham italians, as they headed off to either Popham or Reid State Park.

On Jan. 1, 2000, Mark was roused from his sleep when on the spur of the moment she decided they should drive down to Popham to see the first light of the new millennium. She was happy and content with her life whether kayaking, biking on country roads, window shopping at the Maine Mall or Bar Harbor, trekking up Tumbledown Mountain with her friend Mary Beth Small, or just spending quiet time with her family.

Always the loving wife and mother, she also got to know the special joy and love of grandchildren. She was blessed with the love of her granddaughters, Summer and Violet Clough whom she simply adored. Whether reading them books, dancing with them, or just playing in the yard, she loved bringing a smile to their faces and a twinkle in their eye. She enjoyed attending her children’s sporting events and later the sporting events of her nieces and nephews. Having been a cheerleader in high school, her enthusiasm could generally be heard all over the playing fields and courts.

As her children grew up, she became a nanny for many children through the years. It gave her a sense of joy and pride to help in the nurturing, caring, and raising of children. She was a communicant of St. Rose de Lima parish in Jay and a devout Catholic. She and Mark previously served as eucharistic ministers, volunteered at the local food pantry, and she helped lead the local Daisy and Brownie troop when her daughter was young. It was her faith that gave her peace and strength in her courageous battle with cancer.

Her family is most thankful for the loving care she received throughout her illness from her many friends, her sisters and the care, comfort and love of the people at Dr. Erickson’s Office, the Infusion Center and the Cynthia Rydholm Cancer Treatment Center at Central Maine Medical Center, and Hospice House of Androscoggin.

She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 33 years, Mark Bayer of Jay; her son, Jason Bayer and his companion, Ashley Mosher, of Fort Myers, Fla.; her daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Tobin Clough of Underhill, Vt.; granddaughters, Summer and Violet Clough; her father, Eugene Roy of Jay; her sisters and their husbands, Angela and Doug Smith of Jay, Lucky and Mike D’Ascanio of Casco and Terri and Bill Hartley of Kittery, many special nieces and nephews; her mother-in-law, Pauline Bayer-Lally and her companion, Max Goode, of Bucksport; her brother-in-law, Jeffrey Bayer and his wife, Rita, of Windham; the Brann family; and also her very good friend, Mary Beth Small.

She was predeceased by her first husband, Dana Brann; and her mother, Theresa Roy. Messages of condolence may be sent to: www.finleyfuneralhome.com.