Robert passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 in Oregon City, Oregon with family members by his side.

He was born October 17, 1922 in Skagit County to William and Anna Byham. October 17th was also his mother’s birthdate. Robert graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1940 and joined the Army in January of 1943.

He began his service in one of the many Army bands before being shipped overseas to England aboard the Queen Elizabeth in 1944. He was then sent as a machine gunner to the boarder of France and Germany, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. On December 19, 1944, he was captured with the 106th Infantry by the Germans and was placed in a prison camp inside German lines. While in the POW camp, Robert was forced to build a railroad spur to a German ammunition factory while the Air Corps was bombing the plant.

On April 24, 1945, two weeks before Germany surrendered, he was released and returned first to New York City, then to Fort Lewis, WA and then to Fort Ord, CA for his discharge. 56 years after his release, he received the medals he had been awarded for his service including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European African Middle East Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, WWII Victory Medal and WWII Honorable Service lapel button.

Returning to Sedro-Woolley after his discharge, he worked with his father at the W.A. Byham Cabinet Works and then attended Washington State University. While in school, he met and on August 8, 1947, he married Marilynn Bell in Bellingham, Washington. They resided in Sedro-Woolley until her death and his move to Molalla, Oregon to be close to his daughters and their families.

He was preceded in death by his wife Marilynn, his sisters Betty Riley, Barbara Bagnall, Virginia Johnston, and his brother Charles. He is survived by his daughters Linda Dreyer and her husband Daun of Molalla, OR and Virginia Macrae of Portland, OR. 7 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Robert was a member of the Sedro-Woolley American Legion Post #43 and served as Post Commander in 1962 and also was a member of the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corp.

Full Military Honors will be performed at a Graveside Inurnment Service, Saturday, August 8, 2009 at 1:00 PM at the Sedro-Woolley Union Cemetery.