Kathryn Cline Byrd

Kathryn Cline Byrd died on July 14, 2024, after a short illness. A memorial service will be held at 3PM on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at the University Lutheran Church, 911 5th Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.

Kathy was born on May 28, 1947. Raised in Denver, Colorado, she graduated from Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village. She received a BA from Grinnell College in Iowa and an MA from the University of Texas at Austin. It was at UT where she met Gene Byrd when they were matched by an early “computer dating” service offered by the university; they were married in 1971. They had two daughters, Jeannette and Dana, and moved to Tuscaloosa in 1974 after Gene became a faculty member in UA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. Kathy subsequently received her PhD in Speech Pathology from the University of Alabama and taught for many years in the Tuscaloosa City Schools. In 2007, she received the Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama’s highest award.

Kathy was a powerhouse force for good in the world, working tirelessly for the causes and organizations she supported. A past president of the League of Women Voters of Alabama, she was a familiar face and voice on local and statewide news reports advocating for voter registration and rights and bipartisan transparency from and access to political candidates across the ideological spectrum. In 2023, the statewide LWV instituted the first annual Kathy Byrd Membership and Leadership Award, honoring Kathy as a Changemaker for Democracy. She was a longtime volunteer with the Girl Scouts, serving as a troop leader and receiving a Women of Distinction award from the Girl Scouts of North Central Alabama. She was a devoted congregant of and volunteer at University Lutheran Church. Kathy was a beloved and indispensable part of the lives of many organizations and people in Tuscaloosa and beyond, and her indomitable spirit and exceptional capabilities will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Gene Byrd; her brother, Richard Cline Jr.; children, Jeannette Byrd and Lea Hoggle, and Dana Byrd (Michael van den Eijnden); her grandchildren, Julia Byrd, Lydia Byrd, Katie Ramirez (Mike Ramirez), Evan van den Eijnden, Max van den Eijnden, and Samantha van den Eijnden, and her great-grandchild, Felicity Ramirez.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Jean Cline.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Kathy’s name to the Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation.