Thea VanHoutum Byrd

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our Mom and Oma, Thea VanHoutum Byrd, who passed away at age 90 in Lynnwood, Washington. Thea was loved and will be missed by her family, extended family, countless friends, and by her retirement community at Fairwinds Brighton Court.

Thea was born on August 27, 1935, in the town of Heeswyk in The Netherlands. Her mother was Lamberdina Dobbelstein Van Houtum and her father was Cornelius Marinus VanHoutum. She was named Theodora Wilhelmina Maria and was called Thea throughout her life. She was the oldest daughter of ten children and raised on a family farm. She worked on the farm and cared for her younger siblings like a mother. As a child, Thea learned the arts of home-making including sewing and cooking and she carried these skills with her throughout her life. She was skilled in the equestrian sport of dressage and she carried her love of horses with her throughout her life. Thea earned a nursing degree, and worked for a short time as a nurse in the Netherlands.

She immigrated to the United States in 1962 and married Richard Byrd. They raised three children together and enjoyed many years of travel and gathering with friends and family in their homes in Seattle. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a big party and were married until Richard’s death in 2018. She devoted her life to being a homemaker and mother but also worked outside of the home for many years at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. She stayed in close relationship with her family and friends in The Netherlands and made many trips back over the years. Her last trip was in August of 2025 when she celebrated her 90th birthday with extended family and friends at the farmhouse where she was born.

She and Richard spent their retirement years traveling the United States in a motorhome.

Thea loved life and was always seeking new experiences. She stayed curious, creative, social, and active throughout her last years with her community at Fairwinds Brighton Court where she lived the last 8 years of her life.

She is preceded in death by her brothers, Piet and Nico, and her sister Bep. She is survived by her siblings Mien, Hein, Jeanne, Ria, Kees, and Petra; her children Norman, Kathleen, and Michael; and her grandchildren Nick, Thea, Brandi, and Jake.