Mr. Gerald Wayne Byrum, 76, of Onley, passed away Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of 54 years, Ann Quaiff Byrum, of Onley, and his two children, Ashton Byrum and wife, Gina, of Norman, Okla., and Rebecca Byrum Boney and husband, Chris, of Wilmington, N.C. He was Grandaddy to Dylan Byrum, 12, also of Norman. He is loved and remembered fondly by a large extended family of sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and old friends.
He was born in Sunbury, N.C., in January 1945, later moving to Chesterfield County, Va., where he graduated from Thomas Dale High School. He held degrees from Chowan College and Atlantic Christian College. He worked in management and senior administration for Hanes, L’eggs, Sara Lee Corporation, Hickory Printing, and Winston Printing Company. He was a resident of Winston-Salem, N.C., for almost 30 years where he was an active member of Mount Tabor United Methodist Church and Pinebrook Country Club.
Wayne and his wife, Ann, met at age 15 in biology class. They dated all through high school and college and were married in 1967. With their two children (and a couple of beloved dogs), they created a life filled with joy, humor, music, and love. Wayne and Ann retired to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 2006.
A memorial service will be held at Market Street United Methodist Church in Onancock, at 2 p.m., Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. For those who wish to attend in-person, please kindly respect the family’s wishes that you be fully-vaccinated and wear a mask. A streaming version will also be available through the Market Street Methodist Live Stream link located on the church home page at http://www.mktstreetumc.org/
Memorial donations in Wayne’s name may be made to Market Street United Methodist Church, 75 Market St., Onancock, VA 23417.
Visit www.williamsfuneralhomes.com to see additional details about Wayne’s life and to share memory tributes with his family.
Arrangements are by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.
