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Life story

"After six long years, husband and wife are joined together again. Neither wanted a funeral service, preferring to be cremated. Neither wanted an obituary either but being the daughter that often chose not to listen, this tribute is in their memory. Charles Richard Byam, born in Fitzwilliam, NH on October 5, 1932, passed away still grieving for his wife of 63 years. Shirley May Grundon, born on April 22, 1935 in Mt. Carmel, IL. Shirley passed away on November 12, 2019 in Charlottesville, VA. Charles passed away on March 15, 2026 in Charlottesville, VA.

Charles was the last and fifth child of Arthur Waldo Byam and Bessie May Barrett of Fitzwilliam, NH. One sibling, Ruth survives him having passed the century mark. Shirley was the first of two children to Thomas Vern Grundon and Ivalu Andrus Seals of Mt. Carmel, IL. They met at a church social and were engaged just weeks later. Following their marriage in Washington, DC on September 22, 1956, they had five children, four survive both parents, Karen Sue Dunnagan, Charles Richard, Jr, Linda Marie Farkas, and Chris Alan. Their third child, Thomas Arthur passed at the young age of 18. They are also survived by nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Life was never dull in their household. There was always the threat of “wait until your father gets home” to keep everyone in line. Many weekends and summers were spent on land they purchased in the mountains near Stanardsville, VA building a house, raising a cow, pig or goats. Dad was the dreamer, the one who read Mother Earth News and Foxfire, well before it became fashionable. He thought getting his pilots license would be fun until we had to turn around mid-flight on a trip to IL due to weather. He never flew again. He thought building a gyroscope to fly would be fun, until it sat around for too many years and ended up on the curb for trash pickup one day while he was at work. He bought a personal computer soon after they were introduced and taught himself how to use it and even tried his hand at Linux, though that often ended up with a computer that didn’t work any longer, so he bought another. Mom just went along with everything, usually shaking her head, but always buying into his dreams.

For a few years, they tried their hands running Ivalu’s Cafeteria in Mt. Carmel, IL following the retirement of Ivalu, but feeling restless, they retired completely, bought an RV and decided to travel full-time, so selling everything but their land in Virginia, they worked as volunteers at campgrounds in exchange for somewhere to park for a few months. Occasionally they would make their way home to see their children and grandchildren, but they had been bitten by the travel bug as they traveled through 48 states. When that became difficult, they became snowbirds, going to Florida each winter, boon-docking no less and returning to Virginia each spring. Mom was happy as the co-pilot, she loved sitting in her seat watching the world go by. When the steps became difficult for Mom, he built her special steps and eventually added a lift, so she could get into her co-pilot seat.

There were challenges, but together they built a happy life and family together. Grieving, Dad settled into their home in Virginia, continued to cut and chop his firewood, though he never had Mom far from his thoughts and wished to join her. It’s amazing how the heart truly does break when someone is lost. My heart is breaking now, but I rejoice in the thought they are together once again. A private memorial for both will be held at a later date.
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