Robert Reid BYERS

BYERS, Robert Reid (Biker Bob)
Bob died suddenly and mercifully among his friends and courier colleagues, on Thursday, June 16, 2005, on a midday break from high-speed messengering around downtown Toronto. 'Mercifully', because he died doing what he loved.
A legend among friends and family, Bob was a true eccentric and iconoclast who never bowed to authority, but held tight to traditions of love and loyalty. Born January 17, 1947, in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Bob was predeceased by his parents, Mary Winnifred (Reid) and Robert Clyde Byers, and by two siblings, Peter Clyde and Mary Sue (Douglas). He leaves his remaining siblings and in-laws, nephews and nieces: Anne Trory, Susan and Jill, and Jim Trory in Vancouver; John and Jane Byers, Nathan, David and Alan in Espanola; Jim and Kathleen Byers, Samantha, Millie and Lexy in Toronto; Peter Douglas, Scott, Graham and Trevor in Toronto; and Mary Gordon, Kennedy and Kip in various parts of Ontario, and all of their mates and children. Bob is missed by his many friends and co-workers
Bob was raised in the Abitibi Canyon and in Mattawa. He married young and had two children, while he worked a strenuous stint in the mines in Sudbury. When his marriage ended, Bob left on his lifelong quest for individuality and independence. He traveled everywhere in Canada, usually on a bike, and he did all sorts of work, from hard labour at the Victory Mills to social and residence work at Domum.
He was a journeyman bookbinder, a loving son, a demanding chess player, a generous uncle, a mentor to his colleagues, and often loved a spirited argument in politics, morality, and ideas. He was kind, gentlemanly, and generous. He made a difference in the world around him.
According to his wishes, Bob was cremated right after his death. Friends and colleagues are invited to join his family at a memorial service on Saturday, September 10, 2005, at 12 o'clock noon, at the Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East in Toronto. Following the service, his family will carry him north to Massey, Ontario, where he will be buried with his beloved parents in the Grandview Cemetery on Sunday, September 11 at 1 o'clock p.m.