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Richard Byce

December 24, 2021
Kalamazoo, MI

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Richard "Dick" Charles Byce Jr, a long-time Kalamazoo resident, passed away naturally on the evening of December 24th in Kalamazoo's Rose Arbor hospice facility, at the age of 92, in the presence of family members. Having lived independently since his wife passed in 2010, he elected to go there after a brief stay at Bronson Hospital. Gale Rhoads, a woman of her word, had graciously been helping he and his wife maintain their independent life-styles since 2001, which was tremendously important to them/him. He was born in 1929 in Michigan, the son of Richard Charles "Charlie" Byce & Laura Mae "Babe" Conklin, both with Alcona County roots. At the time, his father was employed as a salesman by the Upjohn Company and Dick spent some of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee and in Lakewood, Ohio. When his father was promoted to a corporate position within Upjohn's, the family permanently returned to Kalamazoo. While attending Kalamazoo Central High School (Class of '47), he met the love of his life, S. Yvonne "Vonnie" Moffett. They were married in 1948 in Ann Arbor, where Dick studied to become an engineer. After graduation, he was employed by Miller Davis. In 1959, he established R. C. Byce & Associates, an engineering firm which he ran with the help of many of his associates, until its sale to James Escamilla in 1997. While their children were in school, Dick & Vonnie were active members of the Jaycees. Dick was a Rotarian for many decades, served on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners in the late 1960's, later with Alamo Township and as President of the Park Club. He was active in many other community organizations as well, including National Science Foundation scholarships and on UofM/Engineering Dean's Advisory Committee. M Go Blue! While he considered Mathematics to be a global language, he was also a gifted artist, sketching in his youth and painting later in life. He shared an artists' loft with his grandson Jeff at the Park Trade Center in the late 2000's. Prior to developing arthritis in his hands, he used to pick up his old clarinet or saxophone and occasionally fill the house with some Big Band Era sounding-tunes. He annually enjoyed ski trips out West in the winter, upland bird hunting with close friends in the fall, golfing and sailing during the summers. He learned to sail on Gull Lake in his youth and returned to sailing/cruising in the 1970's, exploring the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron with his wife every year, as long as they were physically able. He was predeceased by a 17-year-old son, Steven Charles Byce, in 1969; by his wife of 61 years in 2010; and by his sister, Dorothy Jean Rothrock in 2012. He lovingly leaves behind his daughter, Linda (Jack) Winkelmann of Holland, Michigan, and his son, Bill (Laura) Byce, of Maple Valley, WA, his grandchildren Jeff (Lauren) Evergreen of Detroit, Tim Winkelmann of Grand Rapids, Kae (Kelly) Bennett of Algona, WA and Caitlyn (Kyle Maxwell) Byce of Tacoma, WA, and three great-grandchildren, Byce Evergreen, and Wade and Zoe Bennett, along with an abundance of dear friends, cousins, nieces, nephew, and step-granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be directed to "Rose Arbor" c/o Centrica Care Navigators https://centricacare.org and/or the First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo. Cremation has taken place and interment will occur at Mt. Ever-Rest Memorial Park. A Celebration of Life Gathering will take place in 2022. If you would like to be notified of the Gathering's details, please leave your contact information in the register book at https://www.langelands.com where one may also read the online obituary, share memories and leave condolences.