Ben Byrd, the former Sports Editor of The Knoxville Journal, died Monday, September 12, 2016 at Ben Atchley Veterans Home. He was 91. The son of Claude R. and Helen King Byrd, Ben was born April 11. 1925, in South Knoxville. He graduated from Young High School in 1942, and in March 1943, he joined the U.S. Navy as a quartermaster aboard the U.S.S. Borum. Byrd and his shipmates took part in the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. Following the end of the war, Byrd returned to Knoxville and enrolled in the University of Tennessee, where he was recruited out of a journalism class to a position as a reporter on The Knoxville Journal sports staff. He was named Sports Editor in 1969. During his nearly five decades at the Journal, Byrd was best-known for his column, “Byrd’s Eye View.” He also covered University of Tennessee basketball and football, the Masters, the Kentucky Derby, and the Montreal and Los Angeles Olympics. Byrd was named Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association five times and was a member of both the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. He was preceded in death by both his parents and his brother, Claude R. Byrd, Jr. Ben is survived by his wife of 64 years, Joan; sons, Rick(Cheryl) of Nashville and Emmett (Alice) of Concord, N.C.; daughter, Kathy (Leonard Butts) of Maryville; and four granddaughters, Lauren, Andrea, Megan, and Courtlin. Visitation will be held from 2:00pm until 4:00pm Wednesday September 14, 2016 at Berry’s Funeral Home, 3704 Chapman Highway, with services to follow at 4:00 pm. Burial will take place 11:00am Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley. Condolences may be offered at www.berryfuneralhome.com
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18