Judge John Kaye Byers^[1]

1930 - 2003  (73 years)

• Name	John Kaye Byers
  Prefix	Judge
  Born	7 Sep 1930	Tennessee
  Gender	Male
  Census	1940	District 14, Knox County, Tennessee   [2]
  Died	13 Dec 2003	Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee   [3, 4, 5]
  Buried	Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee   [6]
  Person ID	I364724	Smoky Mountain Ancestral Quest
  Last Modified	4 Nov 2013

  
  

  Father	William Claud Byers,   b. 31 Jul 1885, Tennessee ,   d. 4 Oct 1974, Knox County, Tennessee  (Age 89 years)
  Mother	Cora McCammon,   b. 7 Jun 1896, Tennessee ,   d. 12 Apr 1982, Carter County, Tennessee  (Age 85 years)
  Family ID	F63937	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Zenda Mae Chase,   b. 20 Nov 1934, Tennessee ,   d. 12 Feb 2016  (Age 81 years)
  Married	Abt 1960
  Children	1. Will Byers + 2. Zenda Kay Byers   3. Lisa Byers
  Family ID	F143618	Group Sheet

  
  

• Event Map		Born - 7 Sep 1930 - Tennessee Died - 13 Dec 2003 - Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee  = Link to Google Maps   = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 2 Nov 2013. Wayne Claude Byers obituary [S112] Census, 1940. Name: J Kaye Byers Titles and Terms: Event Type: Census Event Date: 1940 Event Place: Civil District 14, Knox, Tennessee, United States Gender: Male Age: 9 Marital Status: Single Race (Original): White Race: White Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son Relationship to Head of Household: Son Birthplace: Tennessee Birth Year (Estimated): 1931 Last Place of Residence: Same House District: 47-40 Family Number: 123 Sheet Number and Letter: 8A Line Number: 34 Affiliate Publication Number: T627 Affiliate Film Number: 3910 Digital Folder Number: 005461352 Image Number: 00786 Household Gender Age Birthplace Head William Claude Byers M 54 Tennessee Wife Cora Belle Byers F 43 Tennessee Son Wayne C Byers M 14 Tennessee Daughter Bettie Ann Byers F 12 Tennessee Son Henry J Byers M 11 Tennessee Son J Kaye Byers M 9 Tennessee Daughter Carol Letha Byers F 8 Tennessee [S87] Death Certificate. Name Date of Death / Age County of Death County / State of Residence Marital Status Gender Race File # BYERS JOHN K 12-13-2003 / 73 KNOX BLOUNT / TN MARRIED M WHITE 57370 [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 16 Dec 2003. BYERS , HONORABLE JUDGE JOHN K. - age 73, of Alcoa, passed away on Saturday, December 13, 2003 at Baptist Hospital. Member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force serving during the Korean War. Survived by: wife, Zenda Chase Byers daughter, Vickie Bellamy and husband, Duane son, Will Byers and wife, Trish daughter, Zenda Kay Littreal and husband, Pepper, daughter, Lisa Ward grandchildren, Felicia Dair Bellamy, Britney Bellamy, Erin Byers , Kendall Kaye Parrott, Rosemary Byers , Kory "Beau" Littreal brother, Wayne C. Byers sister, Carol Barling several nieces and nephews and granddogs, Hunter and Lucy. The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Tuesday in the Chapel of Berry Funeral Home, Chapman Highway, with funeral service at 8 p.m. Interment services will be private. In lieu of flowers, National Kidney Foundation, 4450 Walker Boulevard, Suite 2, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917-1523 or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-1942. www.berryfuneralhome.com [S4] Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tennessee), 15 Dec 2003. John Kaye Byers a retired Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals judge, died Saturday. He was 73. Mr. Byers died at Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee of complications from medication being used to treat his kidney disease, said daughter Lisa Ward. Although he retired in 1992, he continued as a senior judge, assisting the trial and appellate courts in the state until his death, Ward said. Mr. Byers sat on the Court of Criminal Appeals for 16 years, the last two as presiding judge. He also served on numerous boards and committees, including the Tennessee Judicial Council and the Tennessee Sentencing Commission. In November 2002, Mr. Byers filled in for Knox County Criminal Court Judge Ray L. Jenkins because of an illness. Friends and colleagues fondly remembered Mr. Byers on Sunday. "He was my mentor and he was quite a father figure to me and other judges," said Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Joe Tipton, who had known Mr. Byers since 1990. Tipton described him as a man full of energy, integrity and with fine sense of humor. He was also very straightforward. "He was the finest judge I've ever been around," he said. "He did his job well and loved the people." Mr. Byers , who lived in Alcoa, was active in the East Tennessee Senior Golf Association and was also a member of the Green Meadow County Club. "He enjoyed his grandchildren," Ward said. He had six of them. Mr. Byers served in the United States Air Force from 1950 through 1954. He received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1959. He served as a judge advocate with the American Legion in 1963 and 1964. He practiced law in Sullivan County, where he was county attorney in 1966 and 1967. Mr. Byers was elected criminal court judge for Sullivan County in 1967, serving until he was appointed in 1976 by the governor to serve as a judge on the Court of Criminal Appeals. Survivors include his wife, Zenda Chase Byers . The family will receive friends 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at the chapel at Berry Funeral Home on Chapman Highway. Presiding Judge Gary Wade of the Court of Criminal Appeals called Mr. Byers "the best assessor of facts I've had the privilege of working with." Wade had known Mr. Byers since 1987. The judge said Mr. Byers will be missed on several different levels. To Wade, he'll be missed as a friend. "He had an uncommon touch," Wade said. "He could walk with kings and walk among paupers." Lola Alapo may be reached at 865-342-6376 [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 39686196).