BYRD, John Byron 1944-2008

BYRD

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 11/10/2009 at 12:43:07

NORTHWOOD - John Byron Byrd, M.D., passed away Oct. 27, 2008. He died in an automobile crash south of Wood Lake, Neb. John had spent the day in a place he loved best, the sandhills of Nebraska, doing what he loved: hunting prairie chicken and grouse, riding horses and running his dogs.

John was born in Amarillo, Texas, on Sept. 13, 1944, the son of Roy and Katy (Black) Byrd. At a young age he was out hunting and fishing with his older brother, Roy Neal. John graduated high school in Valentine Neb. He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. From there he graduated from medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha in 1969.

John loved medicine and loved caring for his patients. John actively taught the art of medicine to medical student and residents. He was boarded in Family Medicine and Geriatrics. John recently retired at the age of 63 after 39 years as a family physician. He practiced primarily in Kimball, Neb., Valentine Neb., Neligh Neb., Sargent, Neb., and Northwood. He prided himself on staying current on medicine, attending lots of meetings, reading the latest medical literature, as well as reading textbooks.

John had many hobbies including a lifelong love of hunting and fishing. More recently he became very involved in cutting horses, initially riding them and then starting his own business, John Byrd Quarterhorses, breeding, training, buying and selling and still working on mastering the art of riding a cutting horse.

John was an avid reader, a budding photographer and dabbled in gourmet cooking. He was a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.

John is survived by his wife, Phyllis, of Northwood; and his son Jay of Northwood; daughters Jodi Byrd and Elizabeth Tsukahara, of Champaign, Ill.; sons, Matt and wife, Cherie, of Ogallala, Neb., and Chad and wife, Carrie, of Wenatchee Wash.; his parents, Roy and Katy of Toyahvale Texas.

Also brothers, Roy of Park City, Utah, Jeff of Kilene, Texas, and George; and sister, Becky, of Abilene, Texas; grandchildren, Samantha Byrd of Ogallala, Neb., James, Luke, Abby, Megan and Trey Byrd of Wenatchee Wash., Jacob and Andrew Henery of Neligh, Neb.

Memorial services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, at St. Boniface Church in Elgin, Neb., and 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008 at the Lutheran Church in Northwood.

Reference: Mason City Globe Gazette, 10/31/2008