Byrne, William Joseph 'Bud'

William Joseph “Bud” Byrne, 78, of Cedar Rapids, died Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at his home in Cedar Rapids. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, with a visitation beginning one hour before, at St. Jude Catholic Church with the Rev. Mark Reasoner. Burial will be held at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery with military honors.

Bud married Laurel Diane Johnson on May 7, 1960, in Cedar Rapids. They have five children, Diane Byrne and Bill Byrne, both of Cedar Rapids, Shawn Byrne of Washington, D.C., Patsy (Mark) Steffen of Polk City and Mary Anne (Trevor) Clark of Oakbrook, Ill.; 13 grandchildren, Lacey (Jeremy) Hall of Milton, Fla., Immanuel Daugherty, Bryar and Mason Byrne, all of Cedar Rapids, Sofia, Shawn and Sarah Byrne of California, Md., Patrick, Madie and Zach Steffen of Polk City, and Rachel, Nicole and Jack Clark of Oakbrook, Ill.; four great-grandchildren Malia, Camden, Taylen and Skyler Hall of Milton, Fla.; and many special nieces and nephews.

Bud was a wonderful and caring husband, father, grandfather and friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Jim and wife Dorothy, Bob and wife Patricia, Leo and Mick; and a great-granddaughter, Angel Hall.

Bud was born Nov. 29, 1934, (Thanksgiving Day) in Muscatine, Iowa. He was the fifth son of William and Winifred (O'Toole) Byrne. He graduated from Muscatine Catholic High School in 1953 and from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa in 1957. He served proudly in the United States Army (Counter Intelligence) from 1957 to 1960. Bud was an honest man who liked doing the right thing to help people during his more than 38 years as a Cedar Rapids Police Officer. He joined the Cedar Rapids Police Department in 1961 and proudly served until his retirement in 1999. His last nine years on the department he was chief of police. Bud then worked for AKAL Security, which provides security for the Federal Courts, until he retired in 2011.

Bud was a member of Cedar Rapids police Association, the Iowa State Police Association, the Iowa Police Officer's Association and a life time member of the Iowa Polygraph Association.

Bud was active in sports, having played slow pitch for many years. He coached football in the Metro Youth league and St. Jude's seventh and eighth grades. He coached girls' softball in the Cedar Hill's league and St. Jude's seventh and eighth grades. Bud also coached a women's slow pitch team in the city league for many years.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Catholic Church, Toys for Tots or Hospice of Mercy.

Online condolences may be left at under “obituaries.”

Published in The Gazette Nov. 20, 2013.