Britten Hartnett Tyler

Britten was born in Beverly, Massachusetts to mother Gynna Gutshaw Ames, of Hamilton, Massachusetts and father Richard Hartnett of Aiken, South Carolina. She was also met with love by her devoted older sister, Taryn Hartnett, of Wellington, FL.

Britten spent her youth in Ipswich, Rowley, and Wenham, Massachusetts, on polo fields and in swimming pools and surrounded by horses, dogs, and birds, as well as friends that she would have for her entire life. Few people were as loyal as Britten. She had a rare understanding of the bigger picture and the significance of holding on to old friends. She had a magnetism that came from the combination of her beautiful fragility, extraordinary strength, and tear-inducing sense of humor.

Britten graduated from The Brookwood School in Manchester By The Sea, Massachusetts; Pingree School in Hamilton, Massachusetts; and Elon University in Elon, North Carolina. She was a bright comet in all these places, unforgettable for her smile, her positive energy, and her willingness to drop anything for a friend. She brought pure sunshine to any room.

In 2000, at a New Year’s Eve party on Boston’s North Shore, sparks flew with the love of her life, her eventual husband and father of her children, Wat Tyler. Though they did not commit to one another that night, the light was on in both their hearts, and it was clear to all who saw them together, that they would find their way back to one another.

In 2012 Britten and Wat married. The wedding resulted in a dance party the likes of which The Country Club will forever be proud. Britten had a gift for bringing people together, and the wedding set off a decade of beautiful, fun parties, laughs and love for them and everyone lucky enough to know them.

Britten gave birth to Wat Henry Tyler IV, in 2016. It was obvious to all, immediately, that motherhood, both to Watty and her beloved French Bulldog Chewy, was her truest gift in life. She was a natural. And it was in becoming a Mom that she was happiest. Her family settled into their dream home in Chestnut Hill in 2019, and in 2020 she was thrilled to announce that she and Wat were expecting a baby girl. Britten was never more fulfilled and filled with love than on January 23, 2021 when she gave birth to Lila Knauer Tyler.

Britten was preceded in death by her mother, Gynna Ames and stepfather Angier Ames. She is survived by her husband Wat Tyler III, son Wat Tyler IV, daughter Lila Tyler, father Richard Hartnett, step-mother Ann Hartnett, sister Taryn Hartnett, brother-in-law Avery Chapman, niece Gray Chapman, brother Willie Hartnett, sister-in-law Katy Hartnett, nephews Winfield and Fletcher Hartnett, step-brother Courtney Fawcett and his wife Heidi Fawcett, and countless friends and family. Services will be private for immediate family members with a celebration of life to be held, depending on Covid restrictions, in the summer of 2021.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please consider a donation to the Britten Hartnett Tyler Memorial Fund, managed by the Boston Foundation. Wat established this Memorial Fund to honor Britten’s memory and enable their children, Watty and Lila, and the rest of her family to honor Britten’s charitable soul and spirit of giving. The Memorial Fund will support the causes, communities and organizations that Britten cared about most and serve as a lasting tribute to her legacy of love, family and friendship.

To find out more and donate, please visit: https://www.tbf.org/britten.

J.S. Waterman-Langone Chapel, 580 Commercial St., Boston, MA 02109 has been entrusted with her arrangements. For Britten's complete obituary or to leave an online condolence, please visit https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/boston-ma/britten-tyler-10040203