Dr. Rebecca Lee Byrd

Dr. Rebecca Lee Byrd departed this life on April 26, 2019 following an extended illness. Becky was born on April 27, 1949 in Richmond, VA, the daughter of Dr. Charles William Byrd and Rose Lee Donati Byrd. She was a graduate of the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Upon completion of a pediatric residency at Duke University Hospital and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she moved to Norfolk, VA to practice at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. There she helped patients and families with the battle against childhood and adolescent cancer. She is survived by her children, Kate Kearns Carter and her husband, Joseph Alton Carter III (Trey), of Virginia Beach; William Albert Kearns III of Washington, D.C.; Patrick Byrd Kearns and his wife, Sonia Huang, of Long Island City, New York; grandsons Joseph Alton Carter IV and Grey Henley Kearns; sisters, Claudia Byrd Macdonald of Atlanta, Georgia; Jane Byrd Cooke, of Richmond; brother, Charles William Byrd, Jr. of Richmond; and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Galilee Church of Virginia Beach, 3928 Pacific Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Following the service, a reception will be held at the church. A private interment will take place at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, 601 Children's Lane Norfolk, VA 23507. The family wishes to express its sincerest appreciation to the staff at The Memory Center Virginia Beach and Interim Hospice, especially Diana Clukey, for the unceasing and loving care that they provided over the past several years. H.D. Oliver funeral Apts., Laskin Rd Chapel is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.