Timothy Martin Byron

Timothy Martin Byron defied stereotypes. He was a mountain man who read The New Yorker.  He was as comfortable in Carhartt’s as in Armani. He was capable and reliable and generous up to his dying day, September 19, 2022, when he suddenly, unexpectedly, peacefully passed away in his home. 

The third of Richard and Julianne Byron’s 10 children, Tim was raised on the family dairy farm near Waseca, Minnesota. It was there that he formed his relentless work ethic; his compassion for the less fortunate; his reverence of nature; his ability to grow, build, and fix anything; and his strong, broad shoulders (both literally and figuratively). Tim attended Catholic boys’ schools from Sacred Heart in Waseca through St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he earned a Psychology degree in 1975.

In 1977, Tim hopped a freight train to Montana, whose wide, open spaces immediately seduced his heart and forever nourished his soul. In return, he dedicated his life to her preservation. His 1984 master’s degree in Land Rehabilitation at Montana State University launched his public service career with Montana’s Departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, and briefly with the Hopi Tribe, the Bureau of Land Management, and Cornell University. After retiring in 2012, he enjoyed a peaceful life of fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, gardening, and connecting with friends and family. 

Tim is survived by his wife, Eloise Kendy, and their dog (aka Tim’s owner), Josie; brothers Patrick (Rosmary), Richard (Mary), and John (Jackie) Byron; sisters Margaret (Justin) Carr, Anne (Gary) Eustice, and Erin Byron; sister-in-law Eve Byron and brother-in-law Dan Bell; and many nieces and nephews who adored him. His parents, Julianne and Richard Byron; his brothers, William and Eugene Byron; and his sister, Bridget Bell, preceded him in death.

We will celebrate Tim’s life on Sunday, October 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at 415 Monroe Avenue, Helena. Be sure to bring a story. His cremains will be interred in St. Mary's Cemetery in Waseca. If you wish, you may donate in Tim’s memory to Montana Environmental Information Center, Prickly Pear Land Trust, or Planned Parenthood of Montana.   

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