Obituary of John D. Byars

Warner Robins, GA: John D. Byars, Sr., passed away Wednesday October 20, 2010. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday in the chapel of Heritage Memorial Funeral Home with burial in Parkway Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 6 until 8 PM Saturday at the funeral home. Mr. Byars was born in Cherokee County, Alabama to the late Paul F. Byars and Sibyl Preskitt Byars. He lived the majority of his young life in Chattooga County, Georgia, particularly Summerville and Lyerly. He graduated from Lyerly High School where he was the captain of the State Champion High School Basketball Team. Mr. Byars married the love of his life, Henrietta Parker, in 1946. They had two children, Phyllis Kay Byars Corley and John “”David”” Byars, Jr. Mr. Byars was preceded in death by his wife Henrietta in 2006, his son David in 1995, his granddaughter Leigh Byars Roberts in 2005, his parents, one brother R. L. Byars, Summerville, two sisters, Haney Byars and Hazel Byars Vaughn, both of Summerville. Left to cherish his precious memory are his daughter Phyllis Byars Corley, Warner Robins, two granddaughters, Tanya Corley Hrizuk Bill, Kathleen, Heather Byars, Wilkerson County, two GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTERS who were his heart and sole, Brittney Michele Cox, Kathleen and Natalie Grace Roberts, Sparta, one sister, Ophelia Byars Hall, Tampa, Florida, his former son-in-law, Tommy Corley, numerous nieces and nephews, hundreds of former baseball players he had coached over the years and all his long time friends in the Middle Georgia Coin Club and the Warner Robins Coin Club. Mr. Byars served in the United States Army/Air Corp. Prior to moving to Warner Robins on July 5, 1956, Mr. Byars was the Postmaster in Berryton, Georgia. He was a member of Evergreen Baptist Church. He worked at Robins Air Force Base as an Industrial Engineer heading up the electronics portion of the F-15. He retired from RAFB in 1982. Mr. Byars, who had played baseball all of his life, including semi-pro, started volunteering back in the mid 1950’s as a coach in the newly formed Little League Organization here in Warner Robins. He coached/managed the Cubs at the old Flint Field for many, many years. He was recognized numerous times in the past few years by the Warner Robins American Little League as the “”oldest living Little League Coach/Manager””. He went on to coach/manage many other teams as well in the Babe Ruth League, Warner Robins recreation Department Junior and Senior League, a traveling tournament team, and his last coaching/managing position was with his semi-pro team here in Warner Robins which was comprised of many of his former Little League players, and boys he had coached throughout the years…the most well known probably being his catcher, Governor Sonny Perdue. His combined years of coaching span nearly two decades. Up until a day before his death, Mr. Byars still loved to sit around with “”his boys”” and talk about games that were played some 50 years ago and he could recall the game, who they were playing, who was pitching for the other team, the batter, who was on base and what the pitch count was. “”His boys”” were amazed, because most of them couldn’t remember those details. His worst day in baseball …the day Jimmy Perkins was fatally injured while playing baseball at the Babe Ruth Field. He rode in the ambulance with Jimmy and his father to the hospital. Mr. Byars was also a noted basketball official who officiated with the Georgia High School Basketball Officials Association for over 30 years, officiating in all classifications of high school basketball games and even some college games. After retiring from Robins Air Force Base, Mr. Byars turned a long time hobby into a thriving business…coin collecting. He has been at Smiley’s Flea Market in Bibb County since the day they opened for business, July 4, 1985. Poor health forced him to retire the week of 4th July 2010. Mr. Byars was a life time member of the Middle Georgia Coin Club in Macon and the Warner Robins Coin Club, holding the office of President and First Vice President nearly every year. The family would like to request that all former baseball players sit together at the service, as well as Coin Club members and former basketball officials. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that donations be made to: Warner Robins American Little League @ P.O Box 6562, Warner Robins, Georgia, 31095 or to the Warner Robins Recreation Department @ 800 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins, Georgia, 31099, in memory of Mr. Byars. Heritage Memorial Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.