James E. Byrum

James E. Byrum, 74, of Athens, TN, formerly of Tucson, AZ and Huntington, NY, died Saturday, February 5, 2022 in Oak Ridge, TN. He was the husband of Nancy (Armes) Byrum.

Born December 18,1947 in Detroit, MI he was the son of the late William and Violet (Sallee) Byrum. He graduated from Bloomfield Hills High School, then from Michigan State University in 1970. In 1979, he graduated from the Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA. He remained a die-hard fan of Detroit sports teams until his passing.

James served in the United States Air Force from 1970-1974. His mission was "to know Christ and to make him known." James made Christ known through over 45 years of ministry both as a rector across 5 parishes and as a non-profit managing director helping the people of Haiti and Ghana.

He is survived by his loving wife Nancy; his children and their spouses, Jonathan (Natalie), Victoria (John), and Christopher (Rebecca); his grandchildren, Colette, Dahlia, Elise, and Ethan; and his brothers and their spouses, Fred (Joyce), Hoyt (Diane), Doug (Linda), and Jeff (Diva).

His service will be celebrated on Saturday, February 12th at St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church with immediate family. Interment will be private at Washington Crossing National Cemetery. The family plans for a public memorial to celebrate his life and memory in the summer of 2022.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to:

• United Way of McMinn County TN - uwmcminn-meigs.com
• Ironwood Pig Sanctuary in Tucson, AZ - ironwoodpigs.org
• iF Foundation - if-foundation.org