John R. Byers III

Born in Rochester, New York, on November 24, 1931, to John Raoul Byers Jr. and Dorothy Bishop, John grew up alongside three sisters: Lyn, Mary, and Susan. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1949. He earned his BA from Cornell University in 1954, where he was a dedicated member of the Delta Chi fraternity, following his studies, he served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 as a Morse code operator stationed at Herzo Base in Germany. He received his MBA from New York University in 1960.

In May 1967, John met Sharon Lynne Schlag at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York City. They married in February 1968 in Scituate, Massachusetts, beginning a loving partnership that lasted 58 years. John and Sharon were inseparable, and their care for each other was a defining characteristic of the Byers household as they started their family, raised their sons, and lived a full life with one another. They never missed their daily walk together, and John produced handmade cards for Sharon every birthday, anniversary, and Valentine’s Day.

John built a distinguished career as a cocoa trader with Gill & Duffus, rising from trainee to President of Gill & Duffus Services over a 34-year period. His expertise led him to serve as President of the Cocoa Merchants' Association from 1973 to 1975, and later as a licensed Cocoa Grader from 1994 to 2017. His work took him across the globe, fostering a deep and lifelong international perspective. He lived in both Brazil and Ghana, and traveled extensively throughout the world: across Africa (Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Cameroon), Japan, Trinidad, Mexico, and Russia. In 1974, Sharon joined him to visit Warsaw, Moscow, and London - the beginnings of their many travels together.

John pursued a broad array of passions throughout his life. He became an Eagle Scout at fifteen, a distinction that helped define his lifelong integrity. He possessed perfect pitch, played the oboe, studied history avidly including his family genealogy, and wrote extensively. He wrote two books, and between 1998 and 2004, fifteen of his letters to the editor were published in The New York Times on topics ranging from global economics to U.S. elections. A naturalist at heart, John served as a director of the Garth Woods Conservancy, where he was instrumental in the restoration of the Garth Road Footbridge. And in his later years, he became a prolific painter and was a juried member of the Scarsdale Art Association.

John made a strong impression on everyone he met. He had a knack for keeping his family and friends entertained, leveraging his great sense of humor and gift for storytelling. He was equally capable at delivering a slapstick joke, a hilarious winding tale, or a note of withering self-deprecation. On the occasion of his 90th birthday, when asked if he was born on Thanksgiving, he quipped: “I’m so old that when I was born, Thanksgiving hadn’t been invented yet.”

When son John joyfully triumphed over the Lemon Squeeze at Mohonk Mountain House, John R. made this annual vacation part of the family tradition for the next 10 years straight. He celebrated the boys' achievements by always encouraging them to follow their passions, and even more earnestly in private, filling album after album of photos and clippings, tracking their accomplishments throughout their lives. In 1990, inspired by the Douglas vs. Holyfield boxing match, he decided the family basement on Brewster Road needed a punching bag. He installed one - recollections differ whether this was for him, or for the boys - and then painted a spectacular, life-size, knockout-punch boxing mural on the wall next to it. John was an artist in whatever medium he chose.

John was both a gentle man and a gentleman. In his later years he complimented and charmed nurses and aides, though one lovingly nicknamed him “Trouble” because he was so independent. He became a recognizable figure in his favorite hat, tan slacks, and ever-comfortable blue long-sleeve L.L. Bean shirt. When visiting son James and family in Maine one summer later in life, his grandsons were surprised to see him take a long walk out to the beach - in long pants and his heavy blue winter shirt. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

John is survived by his wife, Sharon; sons and daughters-in-law, John Winston Byers and his wife Lisa Camesano, and James Byers and his wife Amanda McAuley; and four grandsons, John Ryan, Andrew, Nick, and Alex. He is also survived by his sister Mary O’Leary, his sister and brother-in-law, Susan and Ken Richardson, his brother-in-law, John Hart, his in-laws Stephen and Janna Schlag, and their families. He was predeceased by his sister Eleanor “Lyn” Hart and his brother-in-law Patrick O’Leary.

The family extends their deepest gratitude to the staff at Wartburg and at the Westchester Medical Center, and to his caregivers at home during his final months. An informal Memorial Gathering will take place on Saturday, April 11, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Clark Room at Hitchcock Presbyterian Church, 6 Greenacres Avenue, Scarsdale.

To honor John’s love of nature, the family requests that, in place of flowers, a contribution be made in his name to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. john.bye.rs/in-memory.