Charles Richard "Dick" Byrd Jr.

Charles Richard "Dick" Byrd Jr., died June 16 peacefully at home in Greeneville at the age of 93.

Dick was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1930 to the late Charles Richard Byrd, Sr. and Virginia Sparks Byrd.

He attended Phillips High School and Marion Military Institute. After finishing at the University of Alabama, he worked for The Byrd Companies for several years before moving his family to Palo Alto, California, where he worked as a mortgage banker with Coldwell Banker. After 8 years, the family returned to Birmingham, where he returned to work at The Byrd Companies until his retirement.

He was gregarious, generous, and kind, always warm and compassionate and ready to help and offer advice. He took a keen interest in those he met and had a remarkable recall for the details of each one's family history. His ability to connect the dots of relationships among family and friends was unsurpassed. He enjoyed keeping up with every activity his family members were involved in and loved looking at photos of great grandchildren.

With a talent for interior design and architecture, Dick designed a house for his family in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, as well as designing the remodels of 10 of his houses in Birmingham and Atlanta, Georgia.

He was a devoted Episcopalian having worshipped at Church of the Ascension in Vestavia of which he was a founding member; St Mark's in Palo Alto, California, St. Luke's in Birmingham; St. Bartholomew's in Atlanta, and St. James in Greeneville.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife: Betty Ruth Philips Byrd; and his brother: William Wood Byrd.

He is survived by his much loved children: Charles Richard "Rick" (Rene) Byrd of Birmingham, Blair Byrd (Robert) Berry of Greeneville, Brooks Byrd (Glen) Graham of Hillsborough, North Carolina; his sister: Pat Jones (Ron) Driesbach of Fairhope, Alabama; his brother-in-law: William "Bill" Philips of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and sister-in-law: Peggy Byrd of Birmingham.

He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren: Carolyn Byrd (Nathan) Smith, Sage Byrd (Jack) Nichols, Anna Ruth Byrd (Will) McCalley, Richard Byrd IV, Margaret (Cole) Berry and Bekah (Jackson) Berry; his nine precious great-grandchildren: Lyndy Smith, Kat Smith, Frances McCalley, Anna Nichols, Brooks Nichols, Irene Nichols, Tommy Nichols, Hill McCalley, and Sally McCalley; along with numerous well-loved nieces and nephews.

The family gratefully thanks his special caregivers Teresa Bowman, Angela Perry and Chuck Chappell.

There will be a memorial service at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Birmingham at a time to be announced.

The family requests that memorial donations be made to The Exceptional Foundation, 1616 Oxmoor Road, Birmingham, AL 35209.

Jeffers Funeral and Cremation are in charge of the local arrangements.