If you know where to look, the artistic talents of the late Jayne Roy provide pops of color and stunning creative flair across Methuen.
It was Roy who constructed the Central Fire Station’s 8-foot-tall window depicting a firefighter rescuing a child. The city’s Sept. 11 memorial, divided between the four end caps on Patriots Bridge near the fire station, was created by a team of artists and also features the handiwork of Roy. And in parks and along the Methuen Rail Trail, detail-oriented visitors may notice stained-glass touches on boulders and smaller rocks (often in remembrance of a loved one) – again, thanks to the talents of Jayne Roy.
Roy, who owned the stained-glass art studio Absolute Glass which her family continues to operate, died Nov. 14, 2024 at age 69. And now she, too, has a beautiful stained-glass tribute along the Rail Trail. Installed recently by her husband Bert and daughter Laurie, it’s located north of the Central Fire Station on the left-hand side near a bench. It features the photo of a smiling Jayne encircled with the words “Jayne Roy: Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Stained Glass Artist. She is greatly missed,” all in colorful glass along with a dragonfly and a pretty red, blue and white hummingbird sipping from a flower.
Bert is pleased that the tribute is in place for his wife, who enjoyed using her talents to enhance Methuen.
“Since she passed, we were thinking about doing something, but we’ve been so busy,” he said. “But my daughter cut the pieces and we finally did it. I installed it with her.”
What a lovely way to remember an artist who brought so much sparkle and shimmer to Methuen!
Methuen Arts Partnership members created 8 inspirational red, white and blue panels, two for each of the Patriots Bridge’s four end caps, complete with stars, stripes and words including Honor, Goodness and Sacrifice. Each star represents one of the six people with Methuen ties who perished on 9/11. Here, Michael Roy proudly shows off the mosaic with his “Mem” Jayne Roy who was part of the Partnership team. ML file photo
