I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN BYRON WASN'T MY BEST FRIEND. WE GREW UP TOGETHER AT SOUTH COLUMBUS METHODIST CHURCH. WE WENT TO SUMMER CAMP AT CAMP FRIENDSHIP AND ALWAYS HAD A BALL. I KNEW I COULD TELL BYRON ANYTHING AND HE WOULD ALWAYS LISTEN AND NEVER JUDGE ME. HE WAS WHAT A BEST FRIEND WAS MENT TO BE. I THINK HE DATED ALL OF MY GIRLFRIENDS. WE USE TO LAUGH ABOUT THAT. I HAD SOME AWSOME GIRLFRIENDS BUT I THINK THEY GOT THE BEST DEAL. I REMEMBER WHEN BYRON FIRST GOT CANCER. THE CLASS OF 1965 GAVE ALL THE MONEY WE HAD IN THE TREASURY TO HELP HIM WITH HIS MEDICAL BILLS. THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THAT. WE USE TO LAUGH ABOUT OUR HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS BECAUSE BYRON SAID HE ENDED UP DIVORCED AFTER EACH ONE. HE AND WHOEVER HE WAS WITH AT THE TIME WOULD ALWAYS COME OVER TO MY HOUSE WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER FRIENDS FROM THE CLASS AND WE WOULD ALL GO TOGETHER. THOSE TIMES WILL ALWAYS BE SO PRECIOUS TO ME. IN THE LAST YEARS OF BYRON'S LIFE HE MET AND MARRIED A PRECIOUS GIRL NAMED EVE. SHE WAS THE LIGHT OF HIS LIFE AND SHE BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY TO HIM. WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS BECAUSE WE BOTH LOVED BYRON SO MUCH. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A WIFE GIVE SO MUCH AND ASK SO LITTLE. SHE NEVER LEFT BYRON'S SIDE WHILE HE FOUGHT HIS LAST BATTLE WITH CANCER. EVERY TIME I WOULD COME TO THE HOSPITAL SHE ALWAYS TRIED TO LIFT ME UP AND ASSURE ME THAT BYRON WAS GOING TO GET BETTER, EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH KNEW HIS HEALING WOULD NOT BE ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN. I'M SURE HEAVEN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME WITH BYRON AND JOHNNIE AND BARRY THERE TOGETHER. I AS SO BLESSED TO HAVE HAD ALL THREE OF THEM AS FRIENDS. I CAN'T HAVE IMAGINED MY LIFE WITHOUT THEM. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN WHERE WE WILL ALL BE TOGETHER AGAIN.
I remember Byron from South Columbus Elementary School. He was in several of my classes....always a nice guy. I think he hung around with some of the guys I knew. I'm sorry to hear of his passing.
Betty McBride (Ellis) (1965)
I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN BYRON WASN'T MY BEST FRIEND. WE GREW UP TOGETHER AT SOUTH COLUMBUS METHODIST CHURCH. WE WENT TO SUMMER CAMP AT CAMP FRIENDSHIP AND ALWAYS HAD A BALL.I KNEW I COULD TELL BYRON ANYTHING AND HE WOULD ALWAYS LISTEN AND NEVER JUDGE ME. HE WAS WHAT A BEST FRIEND WAS MENT TO BE.
I THINK HE DATED ALL OF MY GIRLFRIENDS. WE USE TO LAUGH ABOUT THAT. I HAD SOME AWSOME GIRLFRIENDS BUT I THINK THEY GOT THE BEST DEAL.
I REMEMBER WHEN BYRON FIRST GOT CANCER. THE CLASS OF 1965 GAVE ALL THE MONEY WE HAD IN THE TREASURY TO HELP HIM WITH HIS MEDICAL BILLS. THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THAT.
WE USE TO LAUGH ABOUT OUR HIGH SCHOOL REUNIONS BECAUSE BYRON SAID HE ENDED UP DIVORCED AFTER EACH ONE.
HE AND WHOEVER HE WAS WITH AT THE TIME WOULD ALWAYS COME OVER TO MY HOUSE WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER FRIENDS FROM THE CLASS AND WE WOULD ALL GO TOGETHER. THOSE TIMES WILL ALWAYS BE SO PRECIOUS TO ME.
IN THE LAST YEARS OF BYRON'S LIFE HE MET AND MARRIED
A PRECIOUS GIRL NAMED EVE. SHE WAS THE LIGHT OF HIS LIFE AND SHE BROUGHT SO MUCH JOY TO HIM. WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS BECAUSE WE BOTH LOVED BYRON SO MUCH.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A WIFE GIVE SO MUCH AND ASK SO LITTLE. SHE NEVER LEFT BYRON'S SIDE WHILE HE FOUGHT HIS LAST BATTLE WITH CANCER. EVERY TIME I WOULD COME TO THE HOSPITAL SHE ALWAYS TRIED TO LIFT ME UP AND ASSURE ME THAT BYRON WAS GOING TO GET BETTER, EVEN THOUGH WE BOTH KNEW HIS HEALING WOULD NOT BE ON THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN.
I'M SURE HEAVEN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME WITH BYRON AND JOHNNIE AND BARRY THERE TOGETHER.
I AS SO BLESSED TO HAVE HAD ALL THREE OF THEM AS FRIENDS. I CAN'T HAVE IMAGINED MY LIFE WITHOUT THEM.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO HEAVEN WHERE WE WILL ALL BE TOGETHER AGAIN.
WITH LOVE FOREVER AND INTO HEAVEN
BETTY MCBRIDE ELLIS
A
Rebecca G (Becky) Finley (Striggow) (1965)
I remember Byron from South Columbus Elementary School. He was in several of my classes....always a nice guy. I think he hung around with some of the guys I knew.I'm sorry to hear of his passing.