John Byron was 84 when he died peacefully at home on March 30.
It was the way John – a distinguished and outspoken retired submarine captain and staunch defender of the Indian River Lagoon – wanted it.
I’m not surprised he succeeded – or that I’m more than a little verklempt as I write this.
It’s been barely two weeks since I wrote about John’s health issues and likely impending death, whose last email on March 15 gave me sage advice: “If you want to be a bear, be a grizzly.”
Nor was I surprised at the outpouring of love, respect and fond memories shared when my column about John’s health battle appeared on March 17. He was a memorable man. One whose accomplishments are getting attention, and rightly so — from his distinguished career in the Navy to his work on lagoon issues and as an outspoken Democrat whose dozens of columns for FLORIDA TODAY took no prisoners.
We already miss the longtime resident of Cocoa Beach. Besides, we missed him before he left.
“John was a master of strategic planning,” said Rob Rains, president of United Way of Brevard.
“He led the efforts of nearly 90 strategic plans for agencies including United Way, 2-1-1 Brevard, LEAD Brevard and many more. When I came to Brevard in 1994, John joined our board of administration and played a vital role in revitalizing our organization. He is my friend. I will miss him and our lunches more than I can say.”
Barrister Molly Tasker, a former Melbourne City Council member and retired CIA General Counsel’s Office, met John in the political arena.
Friends and all the communities he served so well “have lost a wonderful, dedicated and most honorable man for all seasons,” Tasker said.
She and John were “of the same ilk, that ilk being that we were both civil servants for many years,” she said.
“Yes, I was impressed with his military accomplishments, but more so with his vast intelligence and appreciation for humanity. He so enjoyed interacting with people and getting to know them as individuals,” he said. she declared.
“My husband Dick Curtis, a retired US Treasury officer, my uncle Tom Stephens, a retired FIT aviation dean, and I, a retired intelligence officer, all found it particularly happy but tough, very knowledgeable, innovative and fun.”
Attorney Kendall Moore said it well in a Facebook post: “John is a true scholar and a true gentleman.”
It was.
During our last telephone conversation at the beginning of March, John spoke about the poor health of the lagoon and its future. About losing, as a Democrat, in a race for Congress in 1996. About his life as a writer – John was invited by an editor at the US Naval Institute in 1983 to consult on a manuscript : Author Tom Clancy’s first book, “The Hunt for Red October.”
He talked about “paddling around the river, just to take a look”. When he wasn’t fishing, he was tying flies and planning his next trip to tropical waters.
John shared his philosophy on working with “the big kids” while in Washington, DC: “You have two ways of dealing with people. One, you can try to be good to yourself and do that too. for you. . Or you can say it’s BS and we’re never going to fix it. I started to fix it.”
He gave me some writing advice: “Honor the ability to deal with people who make you smart enough to tell people things,” he said. “If you really try to write seriously, you go further if you talk about things rather than people.”
And we talked about the hard stuff, like his brain tumor: John told me he didn’t want surgery without the promise of a longer life.
He wanted to be himself, at home, as long as possible.
“Be well,” he signed.
The captain was one hell of a smart guy.
Continued:As his time draws to a close, John Byron sums up life: “If you want to be a bear, be a grizzly”
There will be no local services.
This is also what John wanted.
He wrote an obituary, part of which I shared in the column I wrote, at his request, “while I’m still up.”
I hope I made him proud.
Here’s the rest, in his words, as I promised.
“Raised in Waseca, Minnesota, John enlisted in the Navy in 1956. He was promoted to Chief Petty Officer (Sonarman) in 1964 while attending the University of Washington on a Navy scholarship. There he earned his degree in physical oceanography and his commission as an officer.
“He retired as a captain in 1993 after serving in one cruiser and five submarines, commanding the submarine USS Gudgeon (SS-567) and commanding officer of the U.S. Testing Unit. Naval Ammunition at Cape Canaveral He was a 1982 graduate of The National War College and later served on its faculty.
Continued:Our navy has a serious problem | Opinion
“He received Brevard’s United Way’s first Bridge Builder Award. In 2011, FLORIDA TODAY named him Brevard’s Volunteer of the Year. In 2018, the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce presented him with its Distinguished Service Award.
“John is survived by three children, Julie Shively, Justina Byron and Joseph Byron, all of Colorado; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; Sister Mary Balcom in Kauai; and brothers Dennis in Cocoa Beach and Joseph in Faribault, Minnesota. His son John died in a construction accident in 1981. He also leaves two stepchildren he raised – Rosemary Hemings of California and Emerson Hemings of South Daytona Shores, Florida. His parents Mary and Joseph Byron are deceased. A few years ago.
“He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Sailor, put your oar down.”
Contact Kennerly at 321-242-3692 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly. Local journalism like this needs your support. Consider subscribing to your local newspaper. See our current offers.
