Terrence Andrew Byrnes

Jun 6, 2023 | Obituaries, Obituaries 2023 | 4 comments

Terrence Andrew Byrnes, age 64, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 4^th, 2023 surrounded by his family and friends, after a long hard-fought battle with cancer. Terry was born on April 20, 1959, the eldest of two sons, and was a proud lifelong resident of Overland Park, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Andrew and Dixie Carol (Payne) Byrnes, and his parents-in-law V. LaDean Lenninger and Maurice Michael Lenninger. He is survived by his loving wife and best friend Tama Marea Byrnes, son Tyler Andrew Byrnes (Julia), daughter Cora Rae Johnson (Jared), younger brother Timothy Edward Byrnes, and numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, & nephews.

After attending Queen of the Holy Rosary through the eighth grade, he attended Rockhurst High School for three years, before graduating from Bishop Meige High School in 1977. He eventually landed his dream job at Black & Veatch and retired from there after 30 years as an Electrical Engineering Technical Designer. He continued his engineering career at Power Engineers for an additional year.

Terry’s proudest roles were that of husband, father, son, brother, friend, and neighbor. Terry was married to the love of his life and high school sweetheart for almost 36 years, and loved his two children with his whole heart. Those who knew Terry knew that he was always ready with a joke or witty comment, even if he had shared it before, and was eager to lend a helping hand.

Terry’s adventurous spirit led him to becoming a licensed single-engine pilot with over 1,500 hours logged, a Master scuba diver, and an avid outdoors man. He was also involved in Boy Scouts of America in his youth and played an active role in his son’s scouting experience. Through aviation, he was drawn to the open sky, proudly obtained his instrument rating, and gained one of his dearest friends. He enjoyed the sound of airplanes flying overhead and could identify them with a quick glance skyward. His favorite outdoor activities include regular fishing trips to Canada with his father, brother, and son, and weekend camping trips with his family at Pomme De Terre Lake.

In the principle of bringing people together and embracing a larger community, Terry loved family BBQ’s, music, and sports. One of his favorite ways to spend a day was a family cookout, regardless of size or weather. It was always a special occasion when Terry was firing up the grill for a week-day meal with his family or preparing a feast for a larger gathering. He also utilized this BBQ experience by entering BBQ contests with his brother.

A fan of KU sports, he instilled the passion of Jayhawk basketball in his son. When his daughter Corey enrolled at K-State University, he added the Wildcats to his passion list. Terry had the bobble heads and apparel to prove it.

Sports were a big part of Terry’s life. Auto racing, particularly IndyCar, combined his love of sport with engineering. Ultimately baseball ranked highest, as he could frequently be found, with a scorecard in-hand, watching the Royals throughout the summer, win or lose.

Music played a significant role in Terry’s life, from the simple act of sharing a song with someone (or a specific part of a particular song), to joining the board of the Kansas City Spiritfest Music Festival, from 1994 to 2002.

A visitation will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023, beginning at 2:00 PM at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 11300 W 103^rd Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66214. A Rosary will be prayed at 3:15 PM followed by the Mass of Christian burial at 3:30 PM. Burial will follow on Saturday, June 10^th at Lynn Creek Cemetery in Berryton, Kansas at 2:00 PM.

In Lieu of flowers, a donation on behalf of Terry can be made to the American Cancer Society, donate.cancer.org; the Kansas City Hospice House, www.kchospice.org/donation; or your favorite charity.

The mass will be live-streamed beginning at 3:15pm at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/@HolySpiritOnline/streams

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Erin

3 months ago

“Exceptional” best describes Terry. While there are no words for the family during this time, we are left with the memories of Terry that will always be in our hearts forever until we meet again. Terry had a way of always making everyone feel like they were the most important person in his life. The sacrifices he made for those that he loved were lifelong. He gifted us with his kind soul and never asked for anything in return. He will be missed immensely. I can see him on the Lake fishing and enjoying himself with his parents, bon fires at night with friends and family and getting back up and doing it all over again the next day. Love you, Terry. Your beautiful family has your legacy to carry your beautiful soul in them forever. Until we meet again!

Preston

3 months ago

I worked with Terry and Black & Veatch for many years: he was a gem of a human being. I am so glad that I got to know him and he will be missed. Rest in peace my friend.

Garrett Johnson

3 months ago

I had the pleasure of working with Terry at Black & Veatch! Terry was smart, kind, funny, and didn’t know a stranger. We sat in adjacent cubicles and I always enjoyed Terry’s stories and upbeat personality. He loved talking about his kids, and about his lake trips! My sincerest condolences to all of Terry’s family. May he rest in peace.

Bethany

3 months ago

I worked with Terry at Black & Veatch. Every time I talked to him, we would end up talking about life and he was great conversation. I enjoyed talking and working with him. He always had a positive attitude and will be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Sir. It was a blessing to meet you.

Kind Words

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MHD

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Nicole

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