John Joseph Byrne
August 17, 1936 – November 26,2015
John Byrne – husband, father, engineer, backpacker, mountain climber, athlete, sports enthusiast, animal lover, conservationist, beach bum, photographer and prankster – joined his old pal, Bill Berryessa on the hike of a life time through the stars of our Galaxy on 11/26. He was 79 years young.
John was a native Californian, growing up in the Bay Area. He attended Star of the Sea grammar school in San Francisco, Serra High in San Mateo and was probably the smallest guy ever to play center on the Cal Poly football team. He graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in Engineering and worked for many years at PG&E… a job he loved!
He loved all things outdoors and felt most at home on a long backpacking trip, hiking the trails of Mt. Tam, scaling a mountain here or in China or taking long walks on a beach. Watching a beautiful sunset was a favorite pastime.
When John was introduced to computers, he found a new calling. He not only became a computer whiz by teaching himself everything there was to know about this new phenomenon, he was also a genius when it came to picking out high performing tech stocks which turned out to another hobby of his.
To his credit, John faced his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s with a calm determination to do his best for as long as he possibly could. He accepted the challenge and his love and good humor came shining through to the end… He felt much gratitude for a life well lived!
This spirited man is survived by his soul mate and wife, Suzy Sloka, and their cat, Annie. His children: Jeff Byrne, Shelley Eakle, Craig Byrne, Marc Wheeler-Byrne, Stephanie Fiedler and Tim Byrne and their loving families also survive him as do his two “sons-by-choice” Ralph Freightman and Zac Moon. His sisters Yvonne Kenner and Suzanne Button will also miss him, as will his cousins, his niece and his nephew. His sister-in-law, Barbara Pottgen, his best friend, Jim Harral and his fellow prankster, Jane Stutfield were also anchors in his life.
A celebration of his life is being planned for February. In remembrance of John, please make a donation to the charity or cause of your choice.
To paraphrase Carrie Thiederman, I’d like to say – “In lieu of sorrow at John’s passing, express your love. Smile when the people you cherish enter a room. Let them see your eyes light up. Again and again and again…”
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