Veodis Byrd was born on January 29, 1943 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Mary Etta Foster and Jimmie Byrd.

Veodis lived on a farm in Alabama, where he enjoyed his dog Butch and two mules named Frank and Dolly.  At the age of six Veodis and the family moved to Alliance, Ohio where he traded in his beloved Alabama red clay for the cold black ice of Ohio.  He attended Franklin Elementary, Stanton Junior High, and Alliance High School where he was selected to attend the prestigious Buckeye Boys State program.

Veodis gave his life to Jesus Christ as a teenager one Sunday in church, where he felt that God was speaking directly to him through the pastor.  He was baptized at Second Baptist Church in Alliance, and for the rest of his life, he loved to quote scripture and state the importance of being saved. He served as a Deacon at Macedonia Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

Early in his career, Veodis worked as a mail carrier at the United States Post Office and the Blood Bank in Akron.  He retired proudly as a UAW Benefit Plan Representative from the Chrysler Twinsburg Stamping Plant after 42 years.  He met his wife, Carmen Cundiff Drew in high school and they shared 55 wonderful anniversaries together going to concerts and staying active in the church.

Veodis joined the Air Force at the age of 18 and honorably served a total of four years, with part of that time during the Vietnam Era in Thailand. He loved all sports, particularly baseball and football; but he excelled in basketball at Alliance High School, where he started for the Varsity basketball team as a sophomore. One of Veodis’s favorite past times was listening to music, bowling, traveling, scrap booking historical sports information, and watching his professional Northeast Ohio sports teams. He took pleasure in being a good father, husband, friend, provider, and a mentor to his younger brother. His favorite phrase was, “If you think your heart can stand it, come fly with me, because I am the Byrd Man!”.

He is preceded in death by his parents and ten brothers.  He is survived by his wife Carmen and his youngest brother Wilbert (Whyllys).

He is also survived by his children: Michelle (Keith), Darla, Jeffrey (Alicia), Robert (Caryn), Kimberly, Catherine, and Crystal (Jerome); his grandchildren: Cherice, Justin, Cierra, Darien, Arianna, Aaron, Zaria, Macara, Michael, and Camryn; sister-in- law Juanita, and a host of in-laws, cousins, aunts, nieces, nephews, family and friends.