Wayne Byrum

Gerald Wayne Byrum (76), of Onley, Virginia, passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of 54 years, Ann Quaiff Byrum, of Onley, and his two children, Ashton Byrum (and wife, Gina) of Norman, Oklahoma, and Rebecca Byrum Boney (and husband, Chris) of Wilmington, NC. He was Grandaddy to Dylan Byrum (12), also of Norman, OK. He is also survived by his sister, Sandra Byrum Smith (and husband, Bob) of Mt. Airy, NC, Johnna Lee Showers-Cruiser (and husband Bruce) of Richmond, VA, Dan Showers (and wife Michele) of Richmond, VA, Fred Showers (and wife, Kathy) of Chesapeake, VA; Mimi Showers Melvin of Winterville, NC; and D-Jo Showers Emmel (and husband, Bob) of Naperville, IL. He was pre-deceased by his father, Roscum Lee Byrum, his mother Dixie Harrell Byrum Showers, and his mother’s second husband, John Showers. He is loved and remembered fondly by a large extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and old friends.

He was born in Sunbury, NC in January of 1945, and raised in South Norfolk and Suffolk, VA, later moving to Chesterfield County, Virginia, where he graduated from Thomas Dale High School. He holds degrees in Business Administration from Chowan College in Murfreesboro, NC, and Atlantic Christian College in Wilson, NC. Throughout his career, he worked in management and senior administration for Hanes, L’eggs, Sara Lee Corporation, Hickory Printing, and Winston Printing Company. While at Sara Lee Corporation, Wayne was on the board of the annual Bing Crosby Memorial Golf Tournament. He was a resident of Winston-Salem, NC, for almost 30 years where he was an active member of Mount Tabor United Methodist Church and Pinebrook Country Club.

Wayne and his wife, Ann, met at age 15 in biology class. They dated all through high school and college and were married in 1967 - creating a life filled with joy, humor, music, and love. They encouraged their children endlessly, fostering their talents, and raising them into confident citizens of the world with great families of their own. He was so proud of his kids, their spouses, and grandson, bragging about how special they were to anyone who would listen. Wayne was a charmer, always ready with a wisecrack and loved spending time with his family, traveling, reading, dining out, playing golf, and listening to Carolina beach music.

Wayne and Ann retired to the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 2006, where they enjoyed making new friends, entertaining family, the adventures of boating and driving a pick-up truck, fishing, and exploring Assateague Island National Seashore and all of the stunning natural beauty of the Eastern Shore. In the last several years of his life, as his health declined, his amazing wife became his devoted caregiver, too. They are very thankful for the many gifted medical experts who cared for him over these past 12 years.

A memorial service will be held at Market Street United Methodist Church in Onancock, VA, at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 2021. For those who wish to attend in-person, please kindly respect the family’s wishes that you be fully-vaccinated and wear a mask.

A video of the service may be seen by clicking on the video link in the services section below this obituary.

Memorial donations in Wayne’s name may be made to Market Street United Methodist Church, 75 Market Street, Onancock, VA  23417.

Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wayne Byrum, please visit our floral store.