Braxton Gage Byrd

Braxton Gage Byrd, 23, of Norman passed away on July 2, 2022. Services will be held at 2:00 PM on
Thursday, July 7, 2022, at McFarlin United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Boulevard, Norman, OK
73069. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at the Nancy
O’Brian Center for the Performing Arts, 1801 Stubbeman Ave, Norman, OK 73069. Services are
entrusted to Tribute Memorial Care.
Braxton was born on June 29, 1999, to Rick and Dava Byrd in Norman. It was clear from a very early age
that Braxton was a fiercely independent child with a knack for convincing people to do things his way.
Braxton lived life Big. He lived hard, he loved hard. Born at the end of June and on the beach by August,
he spent every summer of his life on the lake. He loved their boat, his “lake crew” and wake surfing.
When the summers turned to winter, he traded the water of Lake Eufaula for the snow of the Rocky
Mountains. Snow Skiing, night skiing and always as fast as possible down the mountain. There was
always a love of music for Braxton, including playing with his friends in a local band “The Lion Bandits”. A
more recent passion was NASCAR and attending and enjoying the thrill of the race with his Dad.
Braxton grew up in Norman, attending Washington Elementary, Cleveland Elementary, Whittier Middle
School and graduating from Norman North High School in 2018. During High School, Braxton fell in love
with Olympic Weightlifting, where he qualified and attended multiple junior national championships
across the midwest. He graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a degree in Construction
Science in May of 2022. While proud of his college degree, he was disappointed with his 3.93 overall
GPA because it wasn’t perfect and Braxton was definitely a perfectionist. In June of this year, Braxton
began his career with Byrd Building, achieving a dream of joining the family business and working
alongside his parents building custom homes.
While at OU, Braxton was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. Braxton was an unconditionally
selfless person who went out of his way to bring life and happiness into the lives of everyone he met.
Those who knew him remember him by his inclusive spirit. This spirit was met with his actions and he
knew how to act in love. He made sure everyone around him knew how important they were, he knew
kindness and garnered respect from those around him because of his genuine love and respect for
others.
Braxton was preceded in death by his Grandmother, Virginia Byrd; Mama, Sharyl Patten and cousin
Conner Lee Russell.
Braxton is survived by his parents, Rick and Dava (Patten) Byrd; Brother, Luke Byrd; the love of his life,
Kenna Ingram and puppies Gypsy and Indie; Grandfather, RJ Byrd; PawPaw, Dave Patten; Aunt, Lori
Russell and her husband Steve; Aunt, Deborah Hoeksema and her husband Dennis; Uncle, Bobby Byrd
and his wife Aimee; Uncle, Jason Byrd; Cousins, Cale, Rylie, Michael, Melissa, Sarah, Hunter, Hayden,
Riddick and Trinity.
The family requests any donations be made to The Virtue Center, https://www.thevirtuecenter.org/
The family also requests if you are planning on attending the services on Thursday to come in casual
attire, Braxton would have wanted it this way.