Twelfth December 1963, what a very special time to "be."

A young Betty and Ken Byrd lived in St. John, Wash. on a farm where they welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Bradley Kenneth, in the Colfax hospital. They moved to dairy farms in Arden and Addy, and welcomed his brother, Perry, in 1965. Brad learned from a young age that hard work — picking or weeding strawberries or bucking hay bales — enabled him to buy his Boy Scout supplies. He always spoke fondly of Chuck McComb and his scouting days in Colville, Wash. Brad once even worked for a family friend, and his payment was a shotgun and a calf named Lee that followed him around like a dog. He would have made a good farmer.

Brad loved telling stories of him and Perry hanging out at the Colville pool and park in the summers. They'd pick fights with the Gotham brothers, then run down the road to hide out at Grandma's house. They rode bikes with Benny Woods on Aladdin Road, swam at the culvert, and had countless adventures with his beloved beagle Snoopy. When he was old enough to drive, he worked at Chipot Lumber Mill, sometimes before school and then again after school and football practice. He bought a yellow and black Road Runner that was always in and out of the Body Shop. Should have been a sign he'd work at a body shop, huh.

He met Jenny Thorpe right before senior year of high school, and they were inseparable from then on.  They married soon after graduation (almost 41 years of Wedded Bliss Brad loved to say) and welcomed a bouncing baby boy, Jeremy, in 1982. The young family moved to Spokane for Brad to attend Spokane Community College Auto Body School, and he started work at Eldon Boggs Body shop, later owned by Gene Elliott and then Roger Leslie. He spent 14 good years doing auto body work and running the wrecker. Brad and Jenny lived at Diamond Lake for a short time before moving to Marshall Lake.

The couple were lucky enough to know a "Wood Tick," also known as a forester, from Colville named Paul Rhodes who lived at Marshall Lake Resort. The owners of the resort, Peggy and Clarence Grimes, took the family in like kinfolk, and they welcomed a beautiful baby girl, JordAnn, in 1987. Life at the lake was the BEST. The Byrds hosted poker parties, hunting seasons, volleyball games, and fishing fun for years. Brad even shot his trophy elk, Jenny named Clarence, at the lake. They bought their house on Highway 20 in 1991. A lifelong home it would be.

Anyone who knew Brad well knew he loved to cut firewood — even before an early morning soccer game as the kids recall. He was the hardest working man. Smart as a whip. He could fix anything, from plumbing to carpentry to auto body work and even painting. He had an electrical and mechanical mind from an early age. He started work at Pend Oreille Valley Railroad in 1998. He took to it like a duck in water and became Chief Mechanical Officer in no time. He took great pride in his job, working at the railroad for 23 years until his cancer diagnosis in October 2020.

The stage four diagnosis did not slow Brad down. He set goals, stayed busy, hiked, and took trips in the 1995 Dodge truck and camper with Jenny and their chocolate lab, Marshall Tucker. He also loved to drive in the woods in his baby, a 1985 CJ7 Jeep. Even when the cancer treatments made him weak, he'd muster the strength to go to his "Happy Place," the cabin they bought from Fred and Gloria Vogel. It was the perfect getaway close to home. Watching the grandsons, Carson and Cayden, swim and fish at the cabin put a huge smile on his face.

Brad was an old soul, maybe born 50 years too late. He was loyal to the bone to his family and friends, but he also loved to tease and joke, always with a mischievous smirk on his face. He didn't always have a ton to say (because Jenny talked TOO much), but when he did it was well thought through. He was able to rest at home in peace, with help from Hospice of Spokane. A "Free Bird." No more cancer. No more pain. He'd love to be remembered when you go into the mountains and woods. He'd say that was his church, especially if CCR was playing, "and I wanna' know, have you ever seen the rain? Comin' down on a Sunny Day."

Join Brad's celebration of life Saturday, June 24 at Marshall Lake from 1pm until the stories stop .Potluck, games, and music — just like he would have liked it.

Sherman-Campbell Funeral Home in  Newport WA  is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends are welcome to visit their website at www.shermancampbell.com