Michael Byrne

Michael C Byrne

Michael C Byrne, 51, of Plymouth, Mich, died Saturday, Aug 9, after a long and courageous battle with cancer Beloved husband of 25 years to Mia (Ready) Proud father of Matthew Byrne, son of Ann Byrne, of Wilton, formerly of New Canaan, and the late John J Byrne Brother of John J Byrne III, Thomas Kerwin (Gemma) Byrne, Kathryn Byrne and Gregory F (Natalie) Byrne Also survived by numerous nieces and nephews

Byrne graduated from New Canaan High School with the class of 1981 He earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, where he met his wife Byrne worked for Ford Motor Company and moved to Michigan in 1985 He was a man of very few words, but his quick wit and dry sense of humor lifted the spirits of those who knew him, his family said

Byrne enjoyed golf, mountain biking, cross country skiing, triathlon and running He battled a rare cancer, Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, for 21 years In 2004 he ran the New York Marathon to raise awareness of GIST cancer and The Life Raft Group, which supports GIST research On Oct 12, 2014, the 10-year anniversary of the New York City Marathoner Jennifer Hartzler's running the New York City Marathon with Byrne, will be running the Chicago Marathon to honor Byrne and raise money for the Life Raft Group

A funeral mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Plymouth, Mich The burial will be with his father at a later date at Lakeview Cemetary, New Canaan

Memorials may be made to: LifeRaftGroupdonorpagescom/ChicagoMarathon2014/jenniferHartzler2014 or mail a check to The Life Raft Group to: Chicago Marathon Fundraiser: Life Raft Group, Inc, 155 US 46 #202, Wayne, NJ 07470