December 31st, 1876 - September 2nd, 1949

She is a Capricorn.

Florence Briggs Thayer was born in Boston, Massachusetts as the youngest daughter of George A. Thayer (1848 - 1922), a store housekeeper, and Ella Stetson Briggs (born 2849), both Bostonians who had married in February 9th, 1971. One of 2 children to her parents, Florence's only sibling was her elder sister, Elaina (March 3rd, 1872). Florence and her family first appear on the 1880 census where they were residing at an address in Boston owned by her maternal grandparents Harrison and Elizabeth Thayer. She was married in Brookline, Massachusetts on September 24th, 1896 to fellow Bostonian John Bradley Cumings (born 1872), a banker and a stockbroker, later a partner in Cumings & Marckwald located at Wall Street.

The couple initially lived in Brookline, Massachusetts and had their first 2 children there: John Bradley Jr (August 15th, 1897) and Wells Bradley (September 18th, 1899). They moved to Manhattan around 1900, appearing there on that year's census, and they would have another son whilst in that city, Thayer (March 16th, 1904). The family appeared on the 1910 census still living in Manhattan on East 64th Street and with 4 female servants, all Irish.

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
In the Spring of 1912, Florence and John embarked on a 6-week-long European vacation and for their return to the USA boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg on April 10th, 1912 as 1st class passengers. Following the collision with the iceberg, Florence and John went to the boat deck and was among the group of 1st class passengers herded down to A-deck to enter lifeboat 4.

Florence stayed with the women around lifeboat 4 and waited until the boat was finally lowered. She refused to leave her husband but he assured her that he would follow in a later boat. John died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Florence returned to her New York home, East 64th Street, where she was prostrated with grief and confirmed to bed. She remained hopeful that John had somehow survived, perhaps picked up by a schooner she claimed to have seen in the vicinity of the Titanic wreck sight. In late May of 1912, and whilst still in mourning and wearing suitably dark attire, Florence attended a dinner hosted by Madeleine Astor at her New York home to honour Carpathia's Captain Arthur Rostron and surgeon Frank McGee also in attendance was Eleanor Thayer, another widow. Florence was to suffer another loss when Wells later entered the Marines during World War 1 and died on June 30th, 1918 from wounds sustained earlier during the Battle of Belleau Wood, France; he was just 18 years old.

In 1941 Florence was remarried to the divorced and attorney Chester Odirone Swain (January 29th, 1877), a native of Shenandoah, Iowa who was employed by the Standard Oil Company as general counsel. The couple lived for several years in Bedford Hills, New York and would continue to travel extensively, she accompanying her husband on business trips aboard; they appear on numerous passenger lists on the 1920's and 1930's, including those of Europa, Majestic, and a voyage aboard Olympic in 1928. Places they visited included Britain, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and France. The year 1937 was to be cruel one for Florence; in March that year, she lost her eldest son John when he died from a stroke at the age of 39. 

Later on April 21st, she became a widow a 2nd time when Chester died. She appears on the 1940 census living on Park Avenue with her 3 servants; she spent her last days living on Park Avenue and passed away on September 2nd, 1949. She was buried in Mt Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her first husband is commemorated on her monument:

'Sacred to the memory of John Bradley Cumings
Born September 26, 1872, Lost at Sea on S.S. Titanic, April 15, 1912 -
'Greater love hath no man than this - that a man lay down his life for his friends.'

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Florence Cumings.