ROBERT BYLER Jr.

BYLER Dr. ROBERT HARRIS BYLER, JR. "Bob Byler" Traditional jazz journalist and archivist, Dr. Robert Harris Byler. Jr. "Bob Byler", passed away Saturday, April 28, 2018, succumbing to cancer. He was 87. Byler was known the world over or his lifelong love of jazz, especially Dixieland. As a journalist, he wrote in The Mississippi Rag for decades and other publications and into his twilight years for the Venice Gondolier Sun as he followed the local jazz scene on the SunCoast. At age 12, his passion and love for traditional jazz emerged while listening to Stan Kenton's radio broadcasts. He learned to jitterbug to the great big bands and swinging combos of the 1940s. He was hooked and loved all kinds of good music. Byler attended Wesleyan University and the University of Missouri where he earned a Masters Degree, Southern Illinois University and Bowling Green State University where he earned a Doctorate. He was called Dr. Byler in the journalism circles. He was a member of Sigma Delta Chi, a Professional Journalistic Fraternity, and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. He was founder and president of the Evansville Indiana Area Jazz Club, which produced four jazz festivals and many public concerts. In 1955, Byler met his wife, Wanda Ruth (Sneed), when they both worked for Caterpillar in Peoria, IL. They married on Bob Byler's 29th birthday, June 28, 1959. His Baptist preacher father, Rev. Robert Harris Byler, Sr., presided over the wedding. Together they visited all 50 states over 50 countries often following their music passion. Daughter Rena called it the Amazing Adventures of Bob and Ruth. He served in the US Army as a Signal Corps Film Photographer in the mid-1950s and traveled to thirteen countries on leave. His career led him to work at Mead Johnson, Channel 7 (he had a Sunday news, weather and sports show), doing radio news for WGBF Radio, in academia teaching at the University of Evansville and eventually retiring from Bowling Green State University. Byler's student, Sheri Kennedy said, "Dr. Byler taught us to be free spirits in a world of media during the 1970s and that was ahead-of-the-times thinking. He taught outside of the box of textbooks and wanted us to be the real world of journalism. We adored him, and he spent a lifetime encouraging and writing about us with the intention of launching our careers." One of his students was Tom Armstrong (a cartoonist and creator of newspaper comic strip Marvin). Byler had intense devotion to the promotion of the traditional jazz community that lasted throughout his entire lifetime. "New Orleans," he said, "was a section point for all people of different cultures. There it didn't matter your race or beliefs because a universal language called music exists." As a contributing editor to "The Mississippi Rag" a leading traditional jazz magazine, now a Webzine, Byler took to photographing and video recording everything he could. Thousands of photos and over 300 articles were published in one form or another. His jazz photos have been exhibited at jazz festivals, conventions, museums, universities, libraries and community centers from San Diego, CA to Buffalo, NY, according to the family. Word of Byler's passing spread through jazz circles quickly. SyncopatedTimes.com called Byler a traditional jazz superfan who was well respected in the Dixieland community for his decades of music scene coverage. Byler had shopped his jazz archives around to his alma mater, but there were few takers due to copyright issues. With the help of his son, Greg Byler, Byler decided to create his own YouTube and Flickr page with photographs from festivals. Jazz legend and Academy Award winning composer Dick Hyman, of Venice, once said "Bob has an immense archive of photos of jazz people and marvelous knowledge about every person he has seen over the many years. I respect him highly and use him as a resource." "His legend was not in all of his writings of others, but in the hearts and minds of all those he touched. He has been a newspaper photographer, radio and TV newsman, photographer and announcer, editor of corporate and trade association magazines and public relations executive," Rena said. In addition to daughter, Rena Breeding of CO, Byler is survived by his son Greg Byler of FL and his daughter Diane Byler of WI., seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Byler's wife Ruth passed away four years ago. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for a later date To see Bob & Ruth's archival jazz and travel videos and photos go to: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCto6SC7EXPqJN144jQ9_WzA/feed Some of his collection is featured at Sarasota Music Archive, Selby Public Library.