THINKING ABOUT BOB BYRNE, AT THE DESERT BURN

       The sun rises in the Nevada desert
    
    While preparing to leave the Nevada desert last week, I got word that Bob Byrne was in his final days. My once towering, robust friend had been fighting cancer for years. 

     Bob loved the sunsets at the Stiltsville house

    When he died two days ago my wife asked, "How long had you known him?".  My thoughts went back to 1976 when I was assembling a 5-man team to enter the Great Grove Bicycle Race (amateur division).  
   Being big and brawny, biking Bob was an obvious choice. He eagerly agreed to join our team, "The Checkered Demons".  
    I probably met him a year or two before that. He was a true Grove guy as he grew up in -never left- and truly loved Coconut Grove.

     I remember Bob and his buddies marching in the King Mango Strut 35 years ago.  They had a blast wielding power drills and marching in formation as "The Two-Bit Drill Team". Their group was magnificent.

     I was the slowest member of our bike team but I peddled my heart out. When I had to head up the hill at Grand and Bayshore Drive I was passed by 12-yer old on a banana bike.  If we did not come in last we were close to it.       
    Afterwards, while Team Demon  rested, Bob spotted a guy passing by on a familiar bike. It was the one stolen from him months before. Big Bob  collared the guy as we backed him up. 

   Besides being exceedingly cheerful and generous, Bob knew how to do almost everything. It seemed he knew how to die as well -at least on his own terms- as he headed down the road that eventually beckons us all. When I last saw him months ago he was smiling with nary a complaint.

     Last year, when his cancer was in remission, we talked about going to Burning Man together. A few days ago I texted a message from "the  burn" and he wrote back, "Great, send pictures!".  I did and he wrote, just 12 hours before he left us,

   "Thanks so much, Glenn. Glad you made it to The Burn. It's been an honor and a pleasure knowing you my friend. Enjoy. Love you lots".

    I loved Bob too as did everyone who knew him.

    We're missing you Mr. Byrne. We thank you for your friendship and for teaching us how to be better than we are. 

   May peace be with you. In the race we call "life", you were a winner.

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