Changes

In April 2025, Byrd was named a "Distinguished Communicatons Professional by his alma mater, NSU. At the announcement ceremony, Byrd, Jr. said of his father:<br>

In April 2025, Byrd was named a "Distinguished Communicatons Professional by his alma mater, NSU. At the announcement ceremony, Byrd, Jr. said of his father:<br>

Our father was a legendary award-winning sportswriter, but he was so much more than that. He was legendary husband, father, and grandfather. In everything he did - whether it was coaching the City of Shreveport swim team, taking a carload of youngsters to a summer track meet in Chicago, Illinois, taking his children to choir practice at First Baptist on Sunday afternoons, teaching a Sunday school class, or writing about a one-legged high jumper from Shreveport's Linwood Middle School, who would meet the President of the United Sates  as a result of an article our father wrote. Jerry Byrd, Sr., was a legendary man who put extraordinary effort into everything he did.<ref>"Three Distinguished Communications Professionals recognized," ''Alumni Columns:  Northwestern State UniversityMagazine,'' p. 3, Summer 2025.</ref>

    Our father was a legendary award-winning sportswriter, but he was so much more than that. He was legendary husband, father, and

    grandfather. In everything he did - whether it was coaching the City of Shreveport swim team, taking a carload of youngsters to a  

    summer track meet in Chicago, Illinois, taking his children to choir practice at First Baptist on Sunday afternoons, teaching a Sunday

    school class, or writing about a one-legged high jumper from Shreveport's Linwood Middle School, who would meet the President of the  

    United Sates  as a result of an article our father wrote. Jerry Byrd, Sr., was a legendary man who put extraordinary effort into

    everything he did.<ref>"Three Distinguished Communications Professionals recognized," ''Alumni Columns:  Northwestern State University Magazine,'' Summer 2025, p. 3.</ref>

Byrd died of natural causes at the age of eighty. He is interred at Sharon Cemetery<ref name=osbornf/> in eastern Claiborne Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=41832001&CRid=68945&|title=Sharon Cemetery|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref>

Byrd died of natural causes at the age of eighty. He is interred at Sharon Cemetery<ref name=osbornf/> in eastern Claiborne Parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=41832001&CRid=68945&|title=Sharon Cemetery|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=April 24, 2016}}</ref>