John Byrnes

9/22/1946 – 12/31/2010
John William Byrnes, age 64, of Bellingham, peacefully passed away with his wife Michelle by his side at Whatcom Hospice House on December 31, 2010 after a courageous battle against cancer. John was born on September 22, 1946 in Buffalo, New York to Bill and Mary Byrnes. After graduating from Canisus High School in 1964, John left Buffalo to travel around the country. He worked in the discotheques in Manhattan, the Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood and crewed on a yacht in the Caribbean. In the summer of 1970, on his way to Alaska, he met his wife Michelle at Birch Bay and they were married in Bellingham on January 29, 1971.  They had a daughter Tanisha that same year. John started his insurance business in 1973. Their son Tyler was born in 1974. Some of John’s fondest memories of family life were the trips taken in the Volkswagen camper that never failed to break down.
The cancer that John fought in 2005 returned in 2010, but not before he and Michelle fulfilled their dream of traveling to New England in their 42 foot motor home to see the autumn leaves. Their plans to travel as full-time RVers were cut short, but they made the most of the last year of John’s life by returning to Bellingham to be surrounded by the love and support of family and friends. John’s Catholic faith was of primary importance to him.  He challenged friends and family to deepen their faith, inspired several people to return to the Church, and invited others to join the Church.  John was a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Bellingham. John truly believed in the sanctity of life and was an active and outspoken champion for the unborn.  John was a man of conviction. He was enthusiastic about life and his family. He was a natural storyteller who loved to talk.  In his last days he told his doctor that he would continue to talk “as long as there is breath in my body,” which is exactly what he did. John was preceded in death by his parents.
John is survived by his wife Michelle of Bellingham, daughter Tanisha Malcolm (Justin) of Ladner, B.C., son Tyler Byrnes (Jenna) of Bellingham, grandchildren Hannah and Kai Byrnes and Jacob and Gemma Malcolm, siblings Leora Yanda, Timothy Byrnes and Lynette McCadden.
Vigil Services will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Thursday, January 6th at 7 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday, January 7th at 12 noon, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Committal will follow at Bayview City Cemetery. Fr. Qui-Thac Nguyen and Fr. Patrick Freitag will be con-celebrating.
Memorials may be made to Whatcom Hospice House, 800 E. Chestnut Suite 1-A, Bellingham, WA 98225 or Priests for Life, PO Box 141172, Staten Island, NY 10314.  The family wishes to thank all of John’s caregivers, especially the amazing staff at Whatcom Hospice House who cared for John during last 2 months of his life.