Charles Bryan Byrd

Charles "Bryan" Byrd, who specialized in cardiac medical devices, left us on Sunday 10/31/2021 at 61 years of age. He was overcome by COVID-19 pneumonia after an unrelated surgery.

Bryan was born in Madison, WI on 10/14/1960 to Charles Byrd and Linda Walters Byrd. During his childhood, he lived in New Orleans, Boston, and Miami. Early into adulthood, he studied in Atlanta and Austin to achieve a higher education. Bryan married his first wife, Rhonda Byrd, had a daughter, Christine, and raised his family in New Jersey for 15 years. Bryan moved to Minnesota in 2009 and resided with his current wife Caroline Byrd in Maple Grove, MN for the past 4 years.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Linda Byrd. He is survived by his father Dr. Charles and Nancy Byrd, Fort Lauderdale, FL; wife Caroline Byrd and her children William and Annaliese Leab, Maple Grove, MN; daughter Christine Byrd and grandsons Silas and Gavin Ridge, Saint Paul, MN; his first wife Rhonda Byrd, Tampa, FL; siblings, Dr. Shannon Byrd and Mick Reed, Knoxville, TN, and Kevin Byrd, Dallas, TX; nephews and nieces, Ryan Malloy; Jackson, Bo, and Lillie Byrd; Caylyn and Lauren Reed.

Bryan earned a Master of Arts degree in Physics from the University of Texas- Austin. While at the Navy Lab in Austin, he completed his Thesis on Underwater Soundwaves. He started his career computer programming medical devices at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami working with his father. He spent the rest of his career working for biomedical technology companies inventing and patenting cardiac medical devices and software algorithms that treat patients around the world. Bryan retired from Abbott in 2020.

Being the Vice President of Research and Development for more than 25 years allowed him to travel the world, and mentor and educate many people from the United States to Japan. One of Bryan's favorite things to do while in Tokyo was sing "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses at karaoke bars. Bryan lived to experience life to the fullest.

Bryan was a strong leader who encouraged everyone to think strategically and critically, work harder, laugh louder, and be more adventurous. His strong work ethic, fierce loyalty, wicked brilliance, and creative sense of humor will be greatly missed around the world. Everyone will remember his crooked grin and walrus laugh. Bryan's unique problem-solving abilities allowed him to continuously improve as a fearless leader.

Everyone was fortunate to have known and experienced life with Bryan, a man who saw every opportunity as a new adventure. In his free time, he loved being outdoors: boating, driving motorcycles and sports cars, target shooting, skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. He enjoyed playing guitar, billiards, darts, golf, and soccer. His favorite programs to watch were baseball, football, wrestling, and comedy shows. Bryan found solace in driving fast, weight lifting, listening to loud 80's Rock music, and spending time riding in the woods or boating with his family and friends.

Bryan was a tenacious visionary. His astonishing life's work had a positive impact on the global medical device industry. The many cardiac medical device inventions he designed and developed will continue to save lives everyday for decades to come. We will eternally miss him and cherish his legacy.



Goodbye for now, Bryan (the brainiac) Byrd.



Bryan's life will be celebrated at Lift Bridge Brewery in Stillwater, MN exactly the way he loved to spend time with us all; beer in hand and telling stories of our best times together.

• Saturday December 18, 2021

• 1900 Tower Drive W. Stillwater, MN 55082

• 2:30pm doors open, 3pm service and eulogies, 6pm visitation concludes

• Come and go as you wish to pay respects, but please be respectful of the 3-4pm timeframe to minimize disruptions.

• Country Inn & Suites by Radisson on Washington Ave. in Stillwater is walking distance of the brewery. Ask for the Lift Bridge rate.

• For those who wish to participate virtually, the 3pm CST service will be livestreamed. A link will be provided here when available.



To honor Bryan's legacy in medical device innovation and his contributions to heart health, a Go Fund Me has been established for the American Heart Association. Fundraiser by Philip Ebeling : In Memory of Bryan Byrd https://gofund.me/5f0c8f90



In lieu of flowers, the family would also appreciate donations to The Bakken Museum (www.thebakken.org) or the Science Museum of Minnesota (www.smm.org), organizations that inspire the next generation of physicists and engineers to make a positive impact on the world.