Lucy Bates Byers, 83, of Lansing, passed away on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. She was born in East Lansing, Michigan on July 16, 1935, to Jane and Hubert Bates. She grew up in East Lansing and attended college at Northwestern, where she majored in Classical Piano, and Michigan State University, where she earned her Master's Degree in Education. Lucy dedicated her life to teaching, working for the Lansing School District for many years, teaching elementary school, working with Head Start, and many other educational programs, before finishing her career at Michigan State in Student Teacher Training and Placement Program.
Lucy married Dr. Joe Byers in December of 1985. He was a professor at Michigan State in the Departments of Counseling, Education, Psychology, and Special Education. After retirement, Joe and Lucy established a first of its kind endowed gift in technology and curriculum at the College of Education. Awarded to a faculty member, the endowment provides support to the advancement of research related to technical applications and integration with curriculum, spanning from primary to higher education.
Lucy is survived by her son, Christopher Knappen and his daughters, Kiersten and Alyssa Knappen of Orlando, Florida, and step-daughter, Bryonie Byers, her husband, Kevin Avery, and their son, Hudson Avery, of Chevy Chase, Maryland. She was predeceased by her daughter Mary Jane Knappen, whom she was very close with.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Joe L. Byers and Lucy Bates-Byers Endowment for Technology and Curriculum at the Michigan State University College of Education, 620 Farm Lane, Room 513, East Lansing, MI 48824. No funeral services are planned. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18