Robert Lee Byerley's Obituary
OBITUARY
Robert Lee Byerley
Robert Lee Byerley, 2/1/1929-(4/21/2025) was born in St. Louis, MO and raised in Dupo, IL. He was the eldest of four boys and loved to tell stories of his schoolmates and neighborhood friends. He married the love of his life on November 11, 1950 and shortly after was drafted into the Army. He served stateside during the Korean War at Camp Irwin in Death Valley. He loved the tanks and enjoyed telling stories of his Army life.
After his discharge, he and his bride returned home and built a house in Columbia, IL where they raised their 2 daughters. He managed the warehouse and repaired floor machines at Industrial Soap Company in St. Louis. He could fix just about any kind of machine and also learned how to weld. He loved spending time with family, especially at Rend Lake for camping, boating and fishing. He taught anyone who was interested how to waterski. After he retired, his favorite hobbies were his flower gardens, traveling and camping in his travel trailer, and spending time with family, especially his grandchildren. He loved going fishing with his grandson, Joe. In assisted living, he excelled at axe throwing and enjoyed the lively spirit and camaraderie of his fellow residents.
Despite his healthy and active lifestyle and his great fortune of excellent physical health, dementia crept in. Near the end, his wonderful memories were replaced with confusion and sometimes the inability to recognize the people he loved most. But he always responded with kindness even when he couldn’t reconcile the situation.
He is now reunited in heaven with his parents, Luther and Bertie (nee Snelson) Byerley of Dupo, his brothers Walter, Roger, and Richard, his beloved grandson, Joe, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and many other friends and relatives of his 96+ years.
He is survived by his wife of over 74 years, Margaret “Margie” (nee Hoffman), daughters Rose (Jerry) Cronin of Belleville and Michelle Byerley of Chicago, grandchildren Christine (Sergio Sanchez-Regalado) Cronin of Kansas City and Haley (Jake) Degenhardt of St. Louis, great-grandchildren Theo, Faye, and Lily, sisters-in-law Barb Byerley, Joanna Hoffman and Ida Cannito, brother-in-law Lee (Nancy Sido) Hoffman, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The family wishes to thank Dr Vogelsang, Meghan Leach, and the kind and caring nurses and aides of the VA hospice team at Jefferson Barracks as well as the amazingly supportive staff of St. Francis at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows.
Visitation will be at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in the chapel at the Benedictine Living Community, 726 Community Dr., Belleville, IL 62223 on Monday, April 28, 2025 from 1:00-2:30 pm, followed by Mass at 2:30 pm.
We will meet the next day, Tuesday, April 29 at 12:45 pm at Leesman FH, 218 S. Metter, Columbia, IL 62236 for a procession to Jefferson Barracks for a ceremony and burial.
In lieu of flowers, we would greatly appreciate donations to the Alzheimer’s Association or other dementia research.
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