Dr. William Byrt

1953 - 2025

Dr. William Byrt

May 21, 1953 - July 14, 2025

Dr. William Byrt, 72, passed away unexpectedly on July 14th. Born on May 21, 1953, in Framingham, Massachusetts, he was the beloved son of the late Francis and Eileen (Cunningham) Byrt.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 41 years, Robin, and their three children: Dr. Erin Byrt and her husband, Tyler McPherson, along with their two daughters, Althea and Leona; Dr. Conor Byrt; and Devon Byrt, who is recently engaged to Kara Gilhooly. He also leaves behind his cherished siblings: brother Frank Byrt; sister Eileen Leavitt and her husband, Ken; and sister Maureen Porter and her husband, Steven. He is lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews.

William grew up in Framingham, where he played guard on the South Framingham High School football team, graduating in 1971. He completed his undergraduate at Boston University (BU), graduating in May 1975. He competed for the BU Crew Team and continued to support the team throughout his life. He earned his medical degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1981, completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Vermont in 1987, and pursued a fellowship in hand surgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, completing it in 1988.

A proud veteran, Dr. Byrt served for six years in the United States Air Force. For the first two years, he was stationed at Wiesbaden Air Base in Germany, where he served as the sole orthopedic hand surgeon for the European theatre of operations. He later continued his service at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal. He served in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 to September 1991 and was honorably discharged with the rank of Major.

Professionally, Dr. Byrt was one of the founding partners of Orthopedic Associates of Saratoga (which later merged with OrthoNY) and served the Saratoga community for over two decades as an orthopedic hand surgeon. He was also a former member of the Board of Trustees at Saratoga Hospital.

Outside of medicine, he loved golf, riding his tractor, working outdoors, and spending winters in Estero, Florida. He cherished time with his grandchildren, rooted passionately for the New England Patriots, and proudly celebrated his Irish heritage through his involvement with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

He will be forever remembered for his quirky sense of humor, his signature rattlesnake hat, his legendary appetite for Cheetos, and spending cold days in his sugar shack making maple syrup.

Relatives and friends are invited to call from 3pm to 6pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 followed by a funeral home service at the William J. Burke & Sons/ Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Home, 628 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Burial with military honors will be held 12:30pm on Friday, August 1, 2025 at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd. Schuylerville, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the following organizations that were close to his heart:

- Framingham Heart Study: Framingham Heart Study, 72 Mt. Wayte Ave., Suite 2, Framingham, MA 01702

https://give.bu.edu/campaigns/59704/donations/new?designation_id=9300000570

- Boston University Crew: Friends of Men's Crew, 595 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 700 West Entrance, Boston, MA 02215 https://trusted.bu.edu/s/1759/22/form.aspx?sid=1759&gid=2&pgid=410&cid=1042&appealcode=WEBATH

- Shriners Children's Hospital: Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607 https://donate.lovetotherescue.org.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefunralhome.com.