David Eugene Byrd

David Eugene "Gene" Byrd, of Shelby, NC, and Conway, SC, passed away peacefully on July 30, 2025, surrounded by family. He was 77.

The family will receive friends to celebrate Gene's life on Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Flint Hill Baptist Church in Shelby, NC. It will be a time for sharing memories, laughter, and tears as those who knew him come together to honor his memory. A private service at sea will take place at a later date off the coast of the Carolinas.

Born and raised in Cleveland County, Gene was the son of the late Edison Ford Byrd and Obelia Bridges Byrd. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Judy Cook Byrd; brothers Edison Ford Byrd Jr. and Joe William Byrd; and nephew Mark Blanton.

He served honorably in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, and later earned a degree from Gaston College. Gene spent much of his career as a professor of Electronics Technology at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, where he inspired students with his knowledge, wit, and deep curiosity.

An adventurer at heart, Gene had a lifelong love for the sea. While living in Myrtle Beach, he spent countless weekends fishing with family and friends aboard his boats-Leaks A Lot and The Parrot Head. He later developed a passion for deep-sea diving and, alongside his dive buddies, helped uncover historic shipwrecks and even a petrified forest preserved on the ocean floor. The discovery sparked national headlines and opened the door to scientific research.

Gene was endlessly curious, remarkably capable, and deeply kind. He was an avid crossword puzzle solver, a loyal Jeopardy! armchair contestant, a historian, genealogist, and a proud member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He spoke softly, thought deeply, and kept friends for a lifetime.

In his final decade, Gene found a new kind of adventure-as Pawpaw-creating a home in Boiling Springs, NC, with his wife, Patsy, filled with warmth, laughter, and backyard gatherings of family, friends, and neighbors.

He is survived by his wife, Patsy White; stepdaughters, Sophia Zon Stewart and husband David, and Angelina Zon Smith; grandchildren, Abrey Smith and Ayden Smith; sister, Martha Byrd Blanton of Adelaide, Australia; brother, Donald Byrd and wife Kathryn of Myrtle Beach, SC; sister-in-law, Betty Greene Byrd of Shelby, NC; nephews, Derrick Blanton, Chris Blanton, and Mark Byrd; nieces, Terena Blanton Downs and Erica Byrd Camp; and many beloved cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to a nonprofit Gene proudly supported: Hospitality House of Charlotte.

Gene will be missed in a hundred quiet ways-and remembered in a thousand more.