Michael "Mike" Hugh Bye

Michael “Mike” Hugh Bye died peacefully after a brief illness on Sept. 26, 2025. By his side was the love of his life, Susan. They had recently returned to St. Mary's, the church where they were married, in Derby, England, to celebrate their 68th anniversary. Mike fell ill a few days after the celebration and passed away in Nottingham.

Born June 28, 1935, in Georgetown, Guyana, Mike was the only son of Walter and Sheila Bye. He grew up among the sugar cane fields and jungles of his home country but also treasured his British heritage. Mike traveled to England to study sugar industry engineering at Fletcher’s and met his future wife, Sue, playing badminton. After they were married, they returned to Guyana and the sugar industry. There they began not only their family, but also their lifelong love of travel.

From Guyana the family moved to Trinidad, where Mike worked for West Indian Oil, Unilever and then W.R. Grace, eventually becoming plant manager at Federation Chemical. By then, the family had grown to six. In 1975, Mike gave up corporate life and moved to England to be in business for himself. There he owned and operated a service station and was an engineering consultant with Dean Vending, ultimately improving the design of their candy bar dispensing machines. In 1978, Mike was lured back to W.R. Grace, and the family moved to Connecticut. A few years later, he joined Exxon in New Jersey.

Mike was a brilliant engineer, leading projects around the world from Trinidad, England and Canada to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He also worked in several states across the U.S. In 1986, Exxon moved Mike to Louisiana, where the heat, the food and the sugar cane fields felt familiar. While he continued to travel for work, Louisiana became the family’s home base. With Sue by his side, Mike made a lasting impression on all who met him, not just as a respected leader but a loyal friend. Over the years, we heard many times from those who worked with him that they would follow him anywhere. More infamously, he also claimed to have singlehandedly destroyed the dress code at Exxon Baton Rouge, refusing to wear a coat and tie in the tropical heat.

Mike retired from Exxon in 2001 and a few years later he and Sue built their dream home on a lake in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. They made many lasting friendships there over the years and used that house as a base to gather family, spoil grandchildren and continue their world travels, particularly on cruises. They moved back to the Baton Rouge area a few years ago to be closer to family.

Mike had a wicked sense of humor, a clever way with words, and a twinkle in his eye. He loved nothing more than spending time with family and traveling with his best friend, Sue. He also loved watching LSU football, tennis, and Formula 1 racing. And while he would tell you he was forever a British subject, he eventually became a very patriotic American citizen.

Mike was also a devoted father to his sons, Patrick (Valerie), Roger (Rena), and Richard (Anneka), and his daughter Karen Tatum (Elmer). Among those who adored him were his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of whom he was incredibly proud. If he could catch someone’s attention, he loved to share tales of his long and happy marriage and the exploits of his family members from the tallest to the smallest.

He is also survived by nieces, nephews, and other family members on both sides of the pond.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Sheila Bye, his sisters, Daphne Alcock and Patricia Lindley, and his middle son Roger.

Before returning home from England, immediate family attended a special funeral mass for Mike at St. Mary's church. The family will hold a celebration of life in early 2026. For those who would like to make a memorial gift, the family suggests that donations to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Louisiana Public Broadcasting would have made Mike smile.