Robert Byrd, (1959 - 2014) - ForeverMissed.com Online Memorials

55 years old
Born on January 8, 1959
Passed away on December 31, 2014

Due to the unprecedented weather and difficulty with travel the memorial concert for Robert Byrd re-scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, 3 February will be yet again postponed – please spread the word so that people do not attempt to attend! We will be planning for something in the spring and will inform you as to the date when it is finally settled.

The Old West Organ Society joins the rest of the Boston musical community in mourning the passing of Robert Byrd. He was passionately devoted to the C. B. Fisk Op. 55 organ, and served as both organist and protector of the instrument up until his death. His short time on the Board of Directors was marked with creative ideas and observant thoughtfulness. He shall be sorely missed.

Please join us in remembering Bob Byrd at a time and date to be announced at the Old West Church. Colleagues and co-workers from all around will present music and remembrances, with a reception to follow. Program details will soon be available.

Tributes

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January 5, 2020

Jim Christie, Lois and I recently recalled Bob's genius. Bob built two great portative organs for Jim. We also recounted Bob's enthusiastic erudition. His library at Old West Church showed how much he read.

Bob had quirky ideas, as in the water story (see below).

Bob's brother's tribute explains a lot. Bob was in the midst of improving the action of our house organ when he died -- he left us too soon.

All who knew Bob celebrated him. I get sad viewing his picture -- there will never be another Bob. No justice in this vale of tears.

January 7, 2019

Death is a humongous drag -- yes we are mortal, but to remove someone so valuable while still so young seems criminal. There was no one like Bob -- he and I knew one another's thoughts before we expressed them. He still lives on in our kitchen, where we use the great cheese grater he gave us. Sorely missed - a grievous lack in my life.

March 15, 2017

Big Bob Byrd is what my three boys called Bob. We knew him from the church in Magnolia and then would get to see him when he came to the church in Whitinsville. Every once in a while we would touch base. He was a gentle giant that will always be missed.

January 8, 2017

Bob Byrd was a super-talented, stunningly erudite, generous, purposeful, effective man who solved organ problems that nobody else could. We have still not run out of some spices he gave us. He put a glass of water put on our kitchen window sill to absorb goodness from the sun. We covered it so to prevent it's evaporating, but now we must decide what its ultimate fate may be. The bicycle lights with sealed batteries he gave me finally died.

After a new biography Behind me is my copy of the Oscar Wilde we had each independently purchased when it first appeared. The breadth of the man's learning is writ large in his library on the balcony of Old West Church.

I miss our body language conversations during concerts. Glancing towards Bob during an especially compelling moment always found him already turned towards me with a thumb up. His quizzical, ironic,complex face angled slightly down peering at me under raised eyebrows will be forever stamped on my mind. .

January 8, 2017

At Old West Church we remember Robert's ministry. His presents around us left many good memories. Robert's conversations on spiritual matters continue to stay in our thoughts. We miss him.

March 13, 2015

Robert was a dear friend that I have only known since last year. In reading the loving tributes written by his family and friends, it is evident that he was and is dear to all of us that had the opportunity to know him. In addition, he will be dearly missed by us all, including his Christian Science friends that he would visit on a weekly basis. He loved going to many churches, working and playing on the magnificent organs in the Boston area. He always shared freely what he was feeling in his heart and was always ready to embrace and to give a kind word, a gentle thought, to give of himself, to feel loved and give love. We would share about our lives and what we were learning about our individual spiritual journeys. He was a wonderful listener and he also loved sharing his deepest thoughts. He loved God and embraced the many different religions he came into contact with through his music.

My husband and I were part of that gathering at the Church of the Advent on Beacon Hill in Boston, at the Advent service before Christmas this past year. He wanted to make certain that we would all sit in just the right place at the concert so we could fully enjoy the organ and feel the uplifting music. We all went out to eat after that and shared our food with each other, chinese style. We laughed and had a wonderful time together. That is how I will always remember him, full of joy and laughter.

I am grateful for the genuine sense of friendship/family he has shared with me and many others. I know that he will continue to bless and be blessed as he continues his journey. I am also saddened that we will not see him anymore, but we always have the memories of having known a truly loving, gentle, generous, and kind Robert. A dear friend.

March 12, 2015

I will miss Bob, the wonderful friend he was and the deep thinker and seeker of Truth that he exemplified. It was always a meaningful experience to talk with him, and the conversation never lingered on anything but the most profound with the invitation to search together for all that was pure and good and true.

As I read the deeply moving tributes above, I realized that, not being a musician myself, i was not fully aware of his extraordinary talent as a musician, which he shared in the Boston community over so many years and in so many places. But I did know Bob in the profound ways in which he shared his spiritual yearnings and thoughts and love for God. He was a generous, loving and deeply spiritual thinker, who loved to explore ideas with everyone who would engage with him about the ultimate meaning of life and our purpose here.

I first met Bob when he came into the Christian Science Reading Room in Boston, where I worked, and we became instant friends, often talking for long periods over supper in local restaurants or when he tuned my piano which he did over those 12 years.

He would often call to share inspiration over something that he had been pondering from the Bible, the teachings of Christian Science or other spiritual teachings and schools of thought from around the world. His humility and deep desire to draw close to God and serve Him in every way in his life was palpable, and he often turned others to more deeply consider their own purpose in life as followers of Christ or by whatever form their spiritual practice took.

The last time I saw Bob was at the Church of the Advent on Beacon Hill in Boston, at the Advent service before Christmas this past year, when he invited me and a couple of mutual friends to attend the service with him. We were all moved to be there and felt his joy that we there sharing with him what he loved so much. After the concert we all went to a local restaurant for a time of fellowship - as though we were family....WE WERE. I will always cherish the kind, loving and inspiring individual he was and continuously strived to be. I am saddened that we shall see him no more but am praying to see him as soaring upward and free, feeling fully worthy of and fully embraced by God's ever-present love.

March 12, 2015

February 5, 2015

As time passes since Robert left us I feel his thoughts and presence on a daily basis.

Always kind and spiritual he had a love of lighting candles before prayer and ;meditation........

He gave me several of those as well as different religious symbols from different religions, but primarily of Christian origin of course.

When you go to light a candle, light one for Robert and think of him and his unique qualities and his ability to love mankind.......... in a way we will keep him alive that way.

I have pledged to continue what he taught me about practicing "random acts of kindness" for the rest of my life as a good Christian.

He accomplished a lot with me.

Bob Stevenson

February 1, 2015

Bob was a compassionate, sensitive and intellectual soul, sometimes quirky--but with an extremely funny and witty sense of humor (especially if you tickled his funny bone, it was a joy to hear his laughter!).
A gifted organist and master/scholar organ tuner and voicer, he never ceased to amaze me with the depth of his knowledge concerning the pipe organ. It was always edifying to experience his postlude improvisations based on a hymn tune on Sundays at Old West Church.
I will miss our occasional after church luncheons in the North End at "La Famiglia Spagnuolo" (Bob's favorite) and our shared mutual pride in our Anglo-Irish heritage.

Bob you left us too soon! Requiescat in pace.

January 29, 2015

It has been thirty years since Bob was part of our organ shop family. His favorite place was - of course - the voicing loft, where he would passionately "teach the pipes to sing" with George F Handel always looking over his shoulder. We all enjoyed his warmth and generosity and often delightfully weird humor (and shared his requirement that there be a Chinese restaurant near any installation site). He left our firm to set up his own shop, at first still voicing for us. Over the years we saw each other less frequently, but it always was a joy - friends cherishing times enjoyed together.

Now, suddenly, you are gone, Bob. But the pipes you taught so well will sing on, they and we miss you!

January 29, 2015

Bob and I shared an organ teacher, Fenner Douglass - I at Oberlin, and Bob several years later at Duke. We had a good time recalling Mr.
Douglass's comments, style, and memorable teaching. Bob's narration of playing a trio sonata for a lesson in his clumpy work boots was especially entertaining. Fenner was astonished that he played so well in such ungainly shoes.

Bob was a talented musician and sensitive liturgical musician. He loved contributing a spiritual quality in his playing to a church service, and was pleased when parishioners recognized his doing so. He seemed at times to be remarkably attuned to the spiritual realm. One example concerned a vision of his mother a few days before her death, an incident that he knew to be her good-bye to him.

He was willing on several occasions to help with an organ emergency at St. Thomas Aquinas, solving problems efficiently and often creatively. On one occasion he stayed in the organ loft for the concert, assuring us that nothing more would go wrong with the instrument. Typically, he also attentively listened and clearly enjoyed the program.

A superb musician, dear friend, talented organ builder and fixer - you are sorely missed, Bob. If we could reverse anything about the last three months of your life, you would have had the heart surgery and would be vibrantly healthy. Rest in Peace, good friend.

January 27, 2015

Bob’s enigmatic genius remains with us. He apparently knew all and could certainly discuss anything. I recently bought Ellmann’s biography of Oscar Wilde; Bob had too.

Our mutual sensibilities connected us at organ concerts. Upon hearing a lovingly shaped phrase or an episode of forward moving excitement, a glance towards Bob would reveal that confident, positive, eyebrows-raised, slightly quizzical expression of his; a hand would show thumbs up.

His years at Fisk and Noack and his tuning for many organizations might explain why he seemed to know everyone in Organland. I wish a larger audience could have heard Bob's fine organ playing.

I rather enjoyed sacrificing my skepticism to propitiate Bob as he advanced his kooky theories. Maybe he was right that a glass of water left in the sunlight would soak up healthful energy that one could drink. I hesitate to drink from the glass of water on our kitchen window sill now imbued with radiant energy – it would mean another sign of Bob had disappeared.

Eventually I’ll drink it. Eventually his organ tools now lying idle at our house will go on to more productive uses. The material evidences of Bob’s presence may disappear, but he will forever remain a treasured memory.

January 22, 2015

The news of Bob's passing was devastating to me. We worked together at Sacred Heart Church in Waltham for years and were close friends. I had spoken to him a few days before his passing about getting together after the holidays. We shared some wonderful times performing the music for every Sat mass at 4pm, and numerous weddings and funerals at Sacred Heart. Afterward, we'd sometimes go for his pick of "Indian Lunch" in Cambridge or Boston and spend an afternoon hanging around his favorite record store in Central Square. Since Bob didn't have a car, I'd give him a ride to the commuter rail or T, and I'd always enjoy our "jam sessions" in the car singing along to whatever recordings happened to be in his bag. His favorite were the arias from The Magic Flute, he'd sing the coloratura in the high octave of "The Queen of the Night". Bob was an eccentric, colorful and definitively odd duck, who could cast some crazy spells, and was an absolute joy to be around. I'll miss him terribly. -Rob Woodin

January 21, 2015

"I was serving with Robert at Old West Church for the last seven years. Our last Service together was the Christmas Evening of 2014. Robert was extremely satisfied with the way this Service went. He was the humblest Servant of the Lord. Always spiritually attuned and grateful to God. Robert lived his life in the spiritual realm. He was constantly contemplating the mystery of life and our place in it. I will remember my long conversations with Robert on the subject of spirituality. He was so excellent in bringing you into the special spiritual world. His language and grasp of “things unseen” was rare. Now, when Robert is no longer with us I wish I spent more time listening and learning from him. Accomplished musician, good friend, creative colleague Robert Byrd will always live in my memory and prayers.
Dr. Olga Lipina
Minister of Music and Arts at Old West Church"

January 21, 2015

Bob and I spent many, many days together working on voicing and tuning these past 16 so years, ever since I met him at St. John's Bowdoin street when I was interim Music Director. He had become a dear friend. I hope his soul is at peace, and we will miss a friend, a colorful presence, and one of the best voicers in the Americas. I hope his Christian Science and Wiccan spiritual companions know about this sad news and keep him in their thoughts and prayers, in addition to us, his pipe organ family.

Bob spoke often and very fondly in particular of Fritz Noack and of his former teacher, and my former summer master class teacher, Fenner Douglas. He was also a big fan of the Liturgies and music at Church of the Advent under both Edith and Mark. I learned a great many things in a variety of disciplines from him. All the best, dear friend, Kevin

January 21, 2015

bob has been a friend for over 20years. He was a kind caring person and very dedicated to his field of playing and repairing organs he will be truly missed.thank you bob for being such a wonder friend, bob patten

January 17, 2015

This is a shock. I always look forward to chatting with Robert in that space between organ tuning and rehearsal beginning. It seems like I saw him very recently, Christmas Eve at Emmanuel? Or was it Boston Baroque Messiah? He was 'instrumental' in the discovery of my baby harpsichord in a dark closet at Pine Manor College. He did restoration work on it, since it had been sitting un-played for a very long time, and tuned it for us whenever we took it out in public. He asked me to sing a number of funerals when he was organist in the North End, and I always enjoyed working with him. He was a great guy, and I will miss him very much.

January 17, 2015

Bob has been tuning our chamber organ at Emmanuel for decades. I always looking forward to seeing him, chatting about music with him and listening to his unique perspective on life. Bob would invariably sit and listen to a bit of the rehearsal or concert after the tuning. No one loved music more and I am truly going to miss his sweet quirkiness and wonderful spirit.

January 15, 2015

Beloved companion, friend, and god-child over these past 26 years. Bob got me invovled in classical music, organ playing Reiki and multiple and divergent spiritualities over the years. Bob was a man of many gifts and talents and diverse interests who will be missed by many for his talents, his honesty and his ongoing and vibrantsearch for truth and meaning in this complex life.

Fred Sarno, O.Praem.
DePere, WI

January 14, 2015

Bob's sudden death was such a shock. His passing is such a great loss for the Boston community. Bob was a fine organ builder and built two excellent positif organs for me - one is now at the Oberlin Conservatory and it is used on a very regular basis. He was so musical and his skills in voicing were superb. He did hundreds of positif organ tunings for me over for the past 20 years and always did an outstanding job. Bob was a very colorful and complex person and a fine organist. His last organ teacher at Duke University was Fenner Douglass, who always remembered him with great fondness and affection. He loved music and listened to a great array of music from medieval through the 21st century - he could talk about any kind of music with great authority. He served on the board of the Old West Organ Society and took excellent care of the Fisk organ. Bob was a most important member of the organ community and he will be greatly missed.

January 14, 2015

I had the extreme pleasure of counting Bob as a close friend for the four years I was at the Old West Church.

A good friend, we stayed in touch and shared bits of our lives on a weekly basis even after I had left that position.

Always positivistic, he was a complex man of knowledge and he had a great sense of humor; Bob was a quality person....... always polite and kind to others and sensitive to the needs of those around him no matter if they were "street people" or his peers.

I will miss him greatly and never forget the things he taught me about life and living it.............. one of a kind.............always there with a kind word in my time of need.

What can I say....... I am dumbfounded.............. there one moment discussing our forthcoming surgery with me to allay my fears....... and gone the next.

The light of his intellect and his kindness shown to me and my wife will never be forgotten. Let him live on in our memories and think of him often to keep him alive in our minds.

Good bye, Bob..........I will truly miss you.

Bob Stevenson

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January 21, 2015

A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men (Pr. 18:16)

It seems as if God had planned for Bob to be an organ builder and musician from the beginning.

He started playing piano at age 9 and by the time he was a teenager was studying organ with Theodore Keller at the Village Chapel in Pinehurst, NC. Mr. Keller taught him to play the pedals of a pipe organ by putting a 1940 hymnal between his knees and saying "don't let that drop." He didn't.

I knew he loved the sound of the pipe organ so one summer when our family visited Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, NC, I saw two books -- The Art of Organ Building -- at the Mother Earth News bookstore. I asked our mom to get them so I could give them to Bob for Christmas. In typical fashion, he devoured them.

By the time he was 16, it was evident that this was a path Bob would walk his whole life. He was playing Masses and Christmas services at the local Catholic Church, and had begun his first organ repair -- in a house in Pinehurst. We found out about it when a tennis player at the local club -- where I hung out -- heard me talking about my brother playing the pipe organ and said "oh there's one in my house; do you think he would like to take a look at it?" It turned out to be an Aeolian player pipe organ that had fallen into disrepair. By the time Bob was finished with it, it was once again a grand instrument.

He also rebuilt the pipe organ -- and played a Bach trio sonata on it -- for a local Presbyterian church near our high school. Then he went to Duke to study with Fenner Douglas.

Our musical tastes were very different. In high school, he would make the windows of our home vibrate with E. Power Biggs playing Toccata and Fugue in Dm while I was in my room listening to Foreigner, KISS, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. I still hear his voice when I practice guitar: "play it RIGHT! Don't be in such a rush that you screw it up."

I also remember his stories of "exploding fruit" launched from his window at Duke towards the frats on the other side of the quadrangle. I think the name is self-explanatory.

When we left North Carolina, the pastor of a local church was concerned that the Wurlitzer organ and Leslie speaker we had donated to them would not be ready in time. Bob - in his typical fashion - had taken everything apart, laid it out in the floor, and was putting it back together in his mind. Then, once he had the machine assembled in his brain, his hands quickly put it back together and had it ready for the 11:00 am service. It never sounded better.

There were also long nights tuning with Bob, making what he called "the centipede" a long multi-legged coil of wire to fire the valves in an organ, and sitting at the console while he was in the bowels of my church organ in Morgantown, WV, shouting "up" or "down" so he could tune the pipes. And man could he make it speak.

At my first wedding - at Bruton Parish in Colonial Williamsburg -- we wanted Bob to play the service. The organist was reluctant until I said "well, he studied organ at Duke with Fenner Douglas." The man looked as if I had hit him with lighting - "OHHHHHH he's one of FENNER'S boys! Well that makes all the difference!"

Needless to say Bob played the organ.

I remember the first time I saw one of the "box" organs that Bob had built for James Christie. It was at a First Night service at a church in Boston. I was amazed at the quality of the instrument. It's one thing to think "oh yeah, he's good at what he does." But the half had not been told me.

We had fallen out of touch in recent years - life being what it is - but last year we started having long phone conversations -- about his health, about life, about spiritual things, about the Showtime series The Tudors, about St. Thomas More, about our family life. And I was looking forward to his health being better after his heart operation.

I will miss him. But I know our Father had a room specially prepared for him, and he is probably hearing music in a way that we never can this side of eternity.

Who knows, maybe he and J.S. Bach and Mozart have had a few conversations. I'd like to think so.

We thank you all for all that you have done to honor him. He was one of a kind.

David & Cornelia Byrd, Manassas, VA

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