BRYAN, Ohio — James R. “Jim” Byrd of Byrd Manufacturing, a longtime manufacturer of commercial HVAC products, has passed away peacefully. He passed away at his home on July 21st at the age of 87.
According to an online obituary posted by Oberlin-Turnbull Funeral Home, Byrd was born in 1937 to Randolph and Naomi Byrd. He graduated from Bryan High School and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Indiana Tech.
Bird joined the family business in 1960, was appointed to the company's board of directors in 1970 and served as co-chairman of the board until his retirement in 2003.
In 2004, Bird was recognized and thanked for his many years of contributions to the industry by the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) with their Lifetime Achievement Award. According to an AHRI statement, the award recognized his more than 30 years of participation in the AHRI Product Division, Certification and Policy Committees, and his service as a member of the association's Board of Directors.
Bird served as president of the Bryan Area Foundation from 2006 to 2008, was president of the Bryan Rotary Club in 1978 and has helped lead United Way drives and Junior Achievement programs. In 2009, Bird and his brother, Richard, were joint recipients of the Bryan Outstanding Citizen Award.
According to the funeral home, Bird is survived by his wife, Joan, to whom he was married for nearly 69 years, his daughter, Pamela Steele, and her husband, William, his sister, Cathy Martinez, his brother, Richard, and his wife, Mary, and five grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Bird was also preceded in death by his daughter, Michelle Geary.
A funeral service will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, July 29, at Wesley United Methodist Church in Bryan, followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be sent to Wesley United Methodist Church or the Bryan Area Foundation's Community Impact Project Fund.
