Violet Catherine Byron

Violet Catherine Byron, 92, of Phoenix, Arizona, formerly of Scranton, Pennsylvania, passed away Thursday, September 24, 2026. She was the beloved wife of the late Richard Edward Byron, who died in 1992. They were married for 34 years.

Born June 2, 1934, in Scranton, Violet was the daughter of the late Joseph Bertram and Elizabeth Halasz Vaida. She graduated with honors from Scranton Technical High School in 1952, where her classmates named her “Miss Co-operation,” a title that perfectly captured the person she would become.

Violet and Richard raised their two children in Scranton, where she devoted herself to her family, church, and community. She was active in numerous organizations, including the Catholic Women’s Club, Mothers’ Guild, St. Mary’s PTA, Cub Scouts, Scranton Prep Mothers’ Club, and the Altar and Rosary Society, where she served as president.

While working as the financial aid coordinator for veterans' affairs at Penn State Scranton, Violet made the decision to return to school and graduated with academic honors in 1983. She was a devoted member of the Greater Scranton Penn State Club and was later named the first female president. Under her leadership, the club was awarded "The Most Outstanding Club in Pennsylvania." She was honored as its Alumna of the Year in 1994 and later received a Penn State Administrative Excellence Award before retiring in 2000.

Violet loved to travel, especially with her sister. Together they visited their ancestral land of Hungary, and traveled extensively throughout Europe over the years. In 2000, she moved to Arizona to be near her family. She quickly found new communities by being an active member of AFFAN (Ahwatukee Foothills Friends and Neighbors), where she was a part of many clubs. She was an active member of St. Benedict Catholic Church, where she served as a lector for many years.

She was a beloved grandmother who enjoyed being involved in the lives of her grandchildren. For many years, she volunteered in the classrooms of her granddaughters, Jessica and Emilee, and in Mrs. McCormick’s kindergarten classroom for several years after they both moved up grade levels at St. John Bosco Catholic School in Phoenix, Arizona.

Violet’s greatest gift was simply the joy she brought with her wherever she went. She made people laugh, made them feel welcome, and made everyone’s life better just by being there. People wanted to be around her. To hear her stories, laugh with her, and soak up some of her happiness. She had a rare ability to make an ordinary day feel more special.

We will miss her laughter, her stories, her warmth, and the joy she brought to our lives. We were so lucky to have her as long as we did.

Violet was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; her parents; and her brother, Stephen Joseph Vaida.

She is survived by her son, Richard K. Byron, and his wife, Marianne; her daughter, Lisa Sallurday, and her husband, Bill; her grandchildren, Tiffanie Byron, Sarah Schneider and her husband, David, Mary Catherine Byron, Jessica Sallurday, and Emilee Sallurday; her great-grandchildren, Tristan, Nathaniel, Michael, and Vaida Schneider; and her siblings, Frank Vaida, Ann Vaida, and Allen Vaida, along with several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Violet and Richard Byron Scholarship Fund at Penn State Scranton, which supports veteran students who have excelled in the classroom.

Services will be held at St. Benedict Catholic Church, in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 27th at 11:00 am. A service in Scranton, Pennsylvania will be planned for summer 2027.