Edie, much beloved in Southern Pines, died peacefully on Sunday, February 18, 2018, at the age of 96, surrounded by friends and family.
Edith Paine Hall Overly, born on October 16, 1921 in Boston, was the daughter of Lydia Lyman Storer Hall and Henry Snow Hall Jr., and a descendant of Robert Treat Paine, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Edie attended the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, where she grew up, and the Winsor School in Boston. Thereafter Edie attended a photography school in NYC for one year.
In her long and varied career, Edie excelled at many endeavors, her equestrian pursuits foremost. She was Master of Foxhounds at the Millwood Hunt in Framingham, MA, then the oldest recognized pack in America. She owned successful racehorses, bred and competed hunters and eventers, and was a generous supporter of many equine causes, including the Walthour Moss Foundation, the Moore County Hounds, and related animal charities such as the Heifer Project and the Tufts Veterinary School.
She was also well known in dog breeding and showing circles, where her famous dog Peter Pumpkin won at Westminster. She was involved in dog agility, sheepdog trials, lure coursing, and tracking up until her last day in this life. Having trucked her sheep and dogs over to Hobby Field, Edie was often seen training for sheepdog trials.
For years, Edie traveled up and down the East Coast to sheepdog trials with her sheep and dogs in a horse trailer and camper. For her first several years at Southern Pines, she lived in a log cabin farm on Midland Road, where she had a fresh supply of milk daily from her Jersey cow.
Edie then made her home on Youngs Road for the last 30 years, the scene of many happy parties. She was an exceptionally talented photographer with a collection of over 50 albums.
She traveled widely and was an inveterate world traveler up until the end. She has traveled via the Concorde, taken the Trans-Siberian Railroad, visited every continent, cruised the major rivers of Europe, and photographed grizzlies in Alaska and polar bears in Churchill.
Right up until her last day, she was actively planning her next trip. She was a trustee of the Museum of Science in Boston, Old Sturbridge Village, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tufts Veterinary, Stonehurst in Waltham, MA, and numerous other organizations.
She was a longtime supporter and ticket holder of the Metropolitan Opera. She inspired loyalty in others, and loyalty was her long suit, keeping close touch with many who otherwise might have been forgotten.
She kept an old family cottage in the Berkshire town of Heath, MA where she enjoyed the simple country life and the company of cousins and friends. Otherwise, during the summer, she lived at the old farmhouse on the grounds of the Millwood Hunt Club in Framingham, MA.
She leaves many devoted cousins and dear friends stretching back decades, all who will miss her dearly.
For those who would contribute in Edie’s honor, she would have suggested the Walthour Moss Foundation and the Carolina Horse Park.
There will be a gathering in the Walthour Moss Foundation at the Hilltop Cemetery in late April, more specifics to follow.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Edith Paine Overly, please visit Boles’ Tribute Store.
Online condolences: BolesFuneralHome.com.
Ms. Overly’s family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers at Sandhills Sentinel.
