Biloxi, MS
Funeral Home
Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home
Visitation
Cedar Lake Church at 10-11 am, Friday, November 7, 2025.
Service
Cedar Lake Church, 11 am, Friday, November 7, 2025.
Obituary
Military Service Tribute, Honors, and Obituary:
Recognizing and Honoring a Fallen Hero, Who Served Within the Mississippi National Guard. “Fallen, Yet Not Forgotten”.
In recognition of our proud American tradition of honorable service which our military men and women have given to their country and our State, we honor a Fallen Hero. Our nation, our state, and the National Guard Association of MS (NGAMS) regard the memorializing of its retired military deceased as an honorable and sacred obligation.
Another great Soldier and Fallen Hero has been released from duty, passed from our ranks on October 30, 2025, and has moved on to his heavenly home. Retired Sergeant First Class Larry Fitzgerald Byrd, age 61, who had served and worked full-time at the Shelby 5th Medical Training Battalion has departed and gone to a better place with our good Lord.
It takes a special person to serve within the military for their country, giving up their family time, comfort, and safety for their country, ultimately for all Americans to enjoy their freedoms, safety, and way of life. We now applaud you for your service to our country. A special message from General Douglas McArthur remains applicable today for our servicemen that have passed: “Old Soldiers never die; they just fade away”.
Rest in Peace Soldier. We applaud your patriotism, sacrifices, and brave efforts in serving our country and your family for their support of your service. We thank you for your service. Without your efforts and your families’ support, our country would not stand so boldly, shine so bright, and live so free.
You now have earned a rest, so go fly with the Angels, go rest high on that mountain; your work on earth is done. Go to heaven a-shoutin’ Love for the Father and the Son.
Another great Soldier has gone home, “Fallen, Yet Not Forgotten, Soldier for Life”.
Obituary, Visitation, and Service Details:
Larry Byrd, of Biloxi, Mississippi, passed away on October 30th, 2025 at age 61 at home with his family surrounding him.
Larry was born on October 17, 1964, at the Keesler AFB Medical Center and was raised in Biloxi. He returned to permanently live in Biloxi after serving in the Army. He graduated from Biloxi High School in the class of 1983 before attending Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC), Perkinston campus for his undergraduate studies. Larry was a key member of the MGCCC national championship football team in 1984. After college, he played semi pro football as a full back and running back for the Gulf States football team and won the championship their final year. After playing, he became a coach for the semipro football team the Gulf Coast Pirates. He went on to coach the semi pro football team the Sting Rays to win the Gulf States Football League championship. After his retirement he worked as an instructor at GTI.
Larry joined the active-duty Army from 1987-1992 and served in the Army National Guard from 1999-2018. As a battle tested warrior, he served in the Gulf War where he earned a Bronze Star along with other major honors and awards. During his military service, he led as a Combat Medic and later a Combat Medic Instructor at Camp Shelby, MS. He was extremely proud of his 13 years as a Combat Medic Instructor at Camp Shelby. After he retired, Camp Shelby created “The Larry F. Byrd Excellence and Leadership” award that is presented to the student who demonstrates excellence and leadership qualities in each class.
Larry’s military education included NPS Ranger training, 1185// OPFOR, 0987// MED SPC, 0787// CLS, 0704// EMT BSC, 1004// TRAUMA AIMS, 1004// TA ITC, 0205// TC3 CRS, 0505// FLD SAN, 0805// WLC, 0109// BNCOC PH 1, 0409// NBC DEF, 0809// SUB ABU PRG and more.
Larry enjoyed spending time with family, playing football, golfing, jet skiing, rock and fossil hunting, and teaching others how to do anything he knew well. He loved studying the Word of God and was a faithful member of Cedar Lake Church.
Larry is survived include his loving wife, Teri Byrd; his mother, Aurora Byrd; his two brothers, Richard and Philip Byrd; four children, Karah Saucier, Micah Byrd, Kaila Klein, and Heather Klein; 6 grandchildren, Marlee Saucier, Jonah Pointe, Rosalind Byrd, Gabriel Byrd, Hendrix Byrd, and Maeve Hudgens; many loving nieces and nephews; and 5 wonderful dogs, Chloe, Sarge, George, Dingo and Shadow. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles G. Byrd of Biloxi.
Services will be held at Cedar Lake Church at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025. Friends may visit one hour prior. Interment will follow at the Biloxi National Cemetery at 12:30 pm. Food and fellowship will be held back at Cedar Lake Church at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Tunnel to Towers at www.t2t.org in Larry’s honor.
Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Larry Fitzgerald Byrd.