Obituary of William Harwood Byrnes

William Harwood (Bill) Byrnes, Sr. of Tampa, Florida and Linville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2016, in Linville, his favorite place in the world. He is survived by his loving and steadfast wife Jeri, his son and daughter in-law Wood and Lisa Byrnes of McKinney, Texas, his son and daughter in-law Hunter and Christin Byrnes of Danville, Virginia, his eight adoring grandchildren, Hunter, Will, Emma Grey, Jeb, Margaret, Anna Frances, Lily, and Cate, and his half-brother John Quackenboss of Alexandria, Virginia. Bill was born in Memphis, Tennessee on October 26, 1942 as the second son to Ronald M. and Baylus A. Byrnes. He grew up in many places and often spoke fondly of his times on the farm in Arkansas, attending school in Lake Forest, Illinois, and finishing high school in Rome, Italy. He was a proud graduate of The University of the South. He met his wife, the former Geraldine Johnson, while home in Rome after college. They married soon after on April 17, 1965 and resided in Camden, South Carolina where their two sons were born and Bill taught English. Bills pursuit of knowledge and a graduate degree led the young family to Cooperstown, New York, and then to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and then on to Saratoga Springs, New York. They finally landed back in Memphis in 1977 where Bill and Jeri lived until 2011. Bill became an entrepreneur and successfully owned and operated several businesses until briefly retiring in 1988. However, golf was not enough to satisfy his dogged work ethic, and he started what became his finest business achievement, Floratine Products Group, in 1990. He and his partners grew Floratine to an internationally recognized and acclaimed leader in turf management products and expertise with a devoted group of distributors. Bill made many friendships along the way that he cherished. Bill believed in hard work and integrity, and he exemplified both. He was early to rise and true to his nature each day. He competed hard in business and golf, but he always played the game the right way. One of his favorite sayings: You get up in the morning and hit it in the mouth. Then you get up and do it again. During his two and a half year battle with cancer, he did exactly what he preached. Later in life, Bill became a sweet-hearted grandfather and he liked nothing better than to see or hear about his precious grandchildren. He spent as much time as he could visiting or going on trips with his sons families, watching football, baseball, and soccer games or dance recitals. He also enjoyed playing golf in Linville with his friends and eagerly anticipated the Spring each year so that he and Jeri could return to Linville for the summer with their dog Putter. Bill loved to talk about history, literature, and sports and never wavered on his opinions about any of them. He also loved games, especially his crossword puzzles which for many years he worked on over his first cup of coffee in the morning. The family wishes to thank all of the friends that have provided so much support for Bill and the family during his illness, from cards and visits to phone calls to providing homes and food. He is deeply appreciated and will be dearly missed. Private services will be held for the family at All Saints Mission Church in Linville, followed by a memorial service on Sunday the 31st of July at 6:00 p.m. at Camp Yonanoka in Linville. The family requests memorials be sent to the Williams Avery County YMCA in Linville, Medi Home Hospice in Newland, NC, or a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Byrnes family.