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Weston Carl Bye
Born: 9/4/1950
Died: 8/24/2021
Age: 70
Community: Grand Blanc, MI
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Weston Carl Bye, just days short of age 71, died August 24, 2021 at his home in Grand Blanc, MI. He fought a courageous four-year battle with brain cancer, and succumbed just one month after being diagnosed with a second, more aggressive, brain tumor.
Wes was born September 4, 1950 in Flint, MI to William (Bill) and Lorna (Thrower) Bye. He grew up in the eastern Flint area before moving to Atlas Township for high school and graduating from Goodrich High School in 1969. Though he was an average student, he excelled in the drafting lab and shop classes, which gave him the essential skills that guided his career and hobbies. While still in high school, he began taking painting correspondence courses, which led to a life-long and largely self-taught pursuit of the arts. He enjoyed drawing, painting, stained glass, woodworking, and metalworking.
Wes joined the Navy Reserves at age 18 and, upon high school graduation, entered the Navy. He served aboard the USS America and the USS Enterprise where he worked on the flight deck servicing the inertial navigation system for A-5 Vigilante reconnaissance planes (Unarmed and Unafraid) as part of the RVAH-13 squadron (The Bats). He eventually obtained the rank of Petty Officer Second Class. While in
the Navy, he also earned his private pilot’s license.
After they met at church at age 15, Wes married his sweetheart Diana Sue Hritz on October 4, 1969 in Flint, MI. He and Sue were happily married for nearly 52 years.
Wes was a hard worker, which he learned by watching his many entrepreneurial family members. He enjoyed being self-employed, and founded Genesee Controls and WC Bye Co. He retired after around 20 years of service from Pontiac Coil, a long-time client before becoming his employer. While in their employ, he obtained four patents.
Wes was an inventor, artist, educator, and tinkerer with many amazing completed projects, though he had so many more that he dreamed of making. He collaborated with Grand Blanc gallery owner and neighbor, Suzanne Johnson, on several sculptures. He fabricated display mounts for the Flint Institute of Arts. He created stained glass windows for First Baptist Church in Kenton, Ohio. He wrote magazine articles for Village Press, with a long-standing column, “The Mechatronist”, for Digital Machinist magazine, and occasional articles for The Home Shop Machinist magazine. The CNC equipment used in the projects he designed was provided, and sponsored by Tormach, for whom he was a Brand Ambassador. In 2016, Wes exhibited an electromagnetic clock titled “A Communication of Time'' at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, MI. Twenty-one of his projects were compiled into a book, The Electromechanical Arts of Weston Bye. He was a regular exhibitor for the North American Model Engineering Society Exposition in Wyandotte, MI and Cabin Fever Model Engineering Exposition in Pennsylvania. Wes also assisted Oakland Community College in developing the curriculum for the Machine Tool Technology certificate and taught classes in the program.
Wes is survived by his wife, Sue; four daughters, Linda (Stan) Truskoski, Dola (Randy) Nelson, Elizabeth (Mark Tinnin) Bye, Anna (Brian) Kuberski; eight grandchildren, Isabel (Michael Wemmer) Truskoski and Sophia Truskoski, Riley Nelson, Rebekah and Diana Muzyk, Jack and Alexander Kuberski, Joshua Tinnin; son-in-law, Mark Muzyk; siblings, Kelly (Amy) Bye, Julie (Wayne) Stevens, Lori (Al) Long; brother-in-law David (Carolyn) Hritz, sister-in-law Maryann (John) Hannigan; step-brothers Mark Colvin and Kyle Colvin; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, step-father Lynn Colvin, father-in-law and mother-in law, and nephew David Hritz.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made in Wes’s honor to Team Buddy Forever Foundation (teambuddyforeverfoundation.org), Kindred at Home Foundation, or Faith Lutheran Church of Grand Blanc.
Please share your thoughts with the family at www.allenfuneralhomeinc.com
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8/25/2021 |
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