MICHAEL JOE "MIKE" BYRD ~ Class of 1964
May 4, 1946 - November 4, 2010

~~~~



~~~~

Michael Joe Byrd, 64, of Richland, passed away on November 3, 2010 in Grandview, WA. He was born on May 4, 1946, in Richland and became life long resident.

Michael graduated from Columbia High School in 1964. He was drafted into the Army at the age of 19 and went to Ft. Benning officer candidate school (OCS) and chose Special Forces (Ranger School) training as he served in the Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader. He received honorable discharge rank of 1st Lieutenant in the late fall of 1969. He received a Bronze Start Medal with 1st Oak Leaf Cluster from the Army.

Mike met the future mother of his children, Nancy, when he was stationed at Ft. Benning, GA. He attended Columbus College in Georgia and graduated with a BA in accounting in 1971. He took his certified public account exam in 1972 and his certified financial analyst in 1993. Michael took a management position for Westinghouse Hanford in 1975 and retired in 2010.

Michael was a lifetime sponsor for the Ducks Unlimited; he was also a very enthusiastic sportsman and fisherman. He loved the outdoors.

He is survived by his daughter, Mary Kylie Byrd; son, Michael B. Byrd; son, Raymond Matthew Byrd and his sisters, Betty Byrd Arey ('53) and Judy Byrd Kophs ('67).

Michael was preceded in death by his mother, Nelle Byrd; father, Raymond Byrd and his brother, James Byrd ('54).

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 13, 2010 at 10am at Memories at Sunset Event Center in Richland.

Mike's Ex-wife's blog:
http://watsontravels.blogspot.com/2010/11/memorial-to-mike-byrd.html

Tribute from Mike's son, Matt:
http://daylifeofthematt.blogspot.com/2010/11/goodbye-daddy.html

GOODBYE DADDY......

Earlier tonight at eight thirty four I was looking through some old photographs of my high school graduation from back in 1991. I all of sudden stopped on the one of my dad. At that same moment I had received a call from my mom in Cuenca, Ecuador I knew what the call was going to be about even before she had said anything... He had been in long term battle with many pains throughout his life... and I can't say I didn't get to say goodbye to him in my own way (see the October twenty third posting here soon.)

All that I can say is I maybe had a HARD TIME most of all of with me Matt not being able to give him offspring in any way like my brother and sister had done. But I still want my dad -- I never really called him daddy expect maybe when I was real little -- to know that he's in a lot safer place now, and even though I found it HARD like I just said to say "I LOVE YOU" to him "Dad I LOVE YOU even though you're not here on this planet earth any more, and you and I found it so hard to communicate when we did have the opportunity I want you to just know I wish you and I could have been better at knowing each other, so much more than we did. I loved the times we did get to spend together with camping, sitting in your BIG RED chair with Micheal & Kylie too.

Thanks for NOT but still (BEING) mad at me for tearing up the back bathroom at the Hoxie house (I only wish I hadn't locked that sliding door) by taking us out to Dairy Queen.

Also thank you for taking us and my friend Steve to that comic con in Tacoma, WA back in 1990, where I got to see THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/SPIDER-MAN artist Todd McFarlane for the second time and thanks for taking this photo,

this small one.

I will never forget what a good and great person and dad you were. I LOVE You, Micheal Joe Byrd with all my heart & soul.

Guest Book