[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 198 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING W. MICHAEL BYRNE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM JORDAN-

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 20, 2022

  Mr. JORDAN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to commend to the House the 
memory of W. Michael Byrne, who passed away in the Dominican Republic 
on October 16 at the age of 99.
  Mike Byrne was born in Minot, North Dakota, in 1923. At age 3, his 
family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, where at age 8 he began working 
various jobs to help his family during the Great Depression. Drafted 
into the Army Air Corps in 1943, Mike served as a bombardier/navigator 
during World War II, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant.
  After the war, Mike was recruited by the Westinghouse Electric 
Corporation for its small appliance division. His Westinghouse career 
started in Mansfield, Ohio, where he met the woman who would become his 
wife of 64 years, Lois.
  Mike quickly rose through the ranks at Westinghouse, ultimately 
becoming national marketing manager, where he oversaw the company's 
sales and marketing work.
  In 1966, Mike started his own company, Michael Byrne Manufacturing, 
which became a leader in the field of tunneling and augering equipment. 
His outstanding work led to his induction into the North Central Ohio 
Industrial Museum as a Champion of Industry.
  Mike's dedication to volunteerism and civic duty was a model to all. 
He served as the first president of the Saint Peter's High School 
Booster Club and as a member of the Saint Peter's Board of Education. 
His passion for service to others continued after he and Lois moved to 
the Dominican Republic, where they helped fund the construction of a 
primary school in Puerto Plata. They also worked with CitiHope 
International to create a program to import and distribute much-needed 
medicine and medical supplies to the poor.
  Madam Speaker, Mike is survived by 8 children, 19 grandchildren, and 
9 great-grandchildren, On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth 
Congressional District, I offer them my condolences as they remember 
Mike's extraordinary life and his lifelong devotion to helping those in 
need.

                          ____________________