Glen T Byram

Glen T Byram, age 101, passed away on Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Mill Creek Care facility in Springfield.

He was born June 4, 1916 to Elmer and Cassie (Sims) Byram in Boone County, Missouri.

Glen married Lucille Willis on March 25, 1944 and she preceded him in death in 1977.  He later married Agnes Grant, she also preceded him in death in 2002.

At age of 5, Glen began school in a one-room schoolhouse and walked, through cold, snow and rain, for two miles to school for his education.  Believing in the power of education to change lives, Glen began his teaching career at the age of 19 in a one-room school in central Missouri. He attended college in the summers and after graduation from Northeast Missouri State University in 1941, he began teaching business education at Athens High School, Athens, Illinois.

Glen enlisted the U.S. Navy in 1942, soon after Pearl Harbor, serving as a communications officer during World War II.  Being assigned to Liberty ships, he made numerous trips across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans transporting supplies and troops.

After serving in the navy, Glen continued with his education, receiving his master’s degree from the University of Missouri, with additional coursework at the University of Illinois.  Glen returned to his job teaching in Athens, and from 1952-1965, he served as the high school principal and district superintendent of Athens School District 213.  He then served as Assistant Director of Vocational Education for the Illinois Office of Education.  In 1975 he was appointed Chief Examiner of the Springfield Civil Service Commission.

A man of seemingly boundless energy, Glen spent his century on earth making a difference in the world around him.  The two most important items in Glen’s life were his faith and his family.  Glen was extremely active in his church life, a member of the Athens United Methodist Church, serving as Sunday School Superintendent, and West Side Christian Church where he served as a Deacon, on the Board of Elders, as President of the Christian Day Care Center Board, and as a teacher/member of the “U and I” Sunday School class.  He also sang and “fiddled” with the Golden Tones Senior Choir and Charles’s Angles. He and his wife Agnes sang and entertained at nursing homes with his beloved fiddle and her piano.  Additionally Glen was a member of the Athens Rotary Club (President), Athens American Legion, and the Illinois Retired Teachers’ Association.  Glen was an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, a dedicated coffee drinker at the Fit Club West, and a great watcher with his young grandchildren of Gilligan’s Island reruns.  Glenn was always known for his high level of energy and his love of gardening, lawn care, and bluegrass music.

Glen was a great influence on his family, modeling vitality and purposeful independent living, well into his nineties.  He is survived by his children, Barbara Milman and Don (Jane) Byram; five grandchildren, Kelsey Milman (Russ Williams), John (Emily) Milman, Scott (Susanna) Byram, Katie (Nathaniel) Price, and Mark (Melissa) Byram; and 10 great-grandchildren, Zack, Kate, Lauren, Callie, Morgan, Mason, Madison, Carson, Mackenzie, and Madelyn.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Wilf Byram and his sister Iris McCullough.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Gary Sinese Foundation, P.O. Box 50008, Studio City, CA  91614; the Fisher Center of Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, 110 E. 42 ^nd Street, 16 Floor, New York, NY 10017; or Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC  28607.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 until 5:00 PM on Sunday April 22, 2018 at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home in Springfield.  An additional visitation will be held from 1:00 until time of funeral services at 1:30 PM on Monday April 23, 2018 also at Vancil-Murphy Funeral Home in Springfield.  Rev. Mac Shotwell will be officiating.

Burial will be held at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.

Mott & Henning Funeral Home in Athens is assisting the family. On-line condolences can be shared at www.mottandhenning.com.