Harry Byrd Elam, Sr.

ELAM, Mr. Harry Byrd, Sr., 83, passed suddenly on March 31,
2016. Harry Byrd was born on May 13, 1932 in Elam, VA, and
was the youngest of the six children of William Carter Elam, Sr.
and Janie Claire Fuqua Elam. He is survived by his loving wife of
55 years, Joanne Naomi Farr Elam; daughters, Katherine Elam
Busser (Mark) and Sarah Elam Puckett (Marc) and sons, Harry
Byrd Elam, Jr. (Elizabeth Paul) and William Fuqua Elam (Mary
Frances Turner). Harry Byrd was so proud of his ten
grandchildren, Keaton Busser, Grayson Busser, Virginia Elam,
Wyatt Elam, Mary Margaret Elam, Kate Elam, Emma Elam, Olivia
Elam, Grace Puckett and John Elam. He is also survived by his
sister Rosemary Elam Pritchard, his brother-in-law Emery Coles
Wilkerson and his sister-in-law Jean Elam. He was preceded in
death by his parents, his brothers William Carter Elam, Jr., Elliott
Fuqua Elam, Robert Everett Elam and his sister Emma Frances
Elam Wilkerson.

He graduated from Pamplin High School. In 1953, Harry Byrd
was inducted in the United States Army and served as a Private
First Class. He returned to attend Hampden Sydney College and
graduated with his B.S. Degree in Physics in 1960. While at
Hampden Sydney he was a member of the Sigma Sigma chapter
of Sigma Chi Fraternity. Following graduation, he pursued his
graduate engineering studies at the University of Virginia.
On September 10,1960, he and Joanne Farr were married at the
Westover Hills Baptist Church in Richmond Virginia. They moved
to Charlottesville, VA where Harry began his career as an optical
engineer with Sperry Marine Systems. During his 25 year career
with Sperry he designed the optical systems for periscopes on
U.S. Navy submarines. He also served with the Sperry Rand
Space Division at Nasa’s Goddard Space station leading design
work on the orbiting telescopes. In 1970, he moved to Elam, VA
so that he and Joanne could raise their children on his old family
farm, a land grant from King George, II that has been in his family
since March of 1745. He retired in 1990 and pursued his love of
farming and gardening. Harry Byrd’s favorite pastime was being
with his family. He loved Thanksgiving with his entire extended
family and Christmas with all of his grandchildren. He enjoyed
politics, the stock market and reading the newspaper from cover
to cover every day. He is well loved and will be missed by his
entire family.

A private service and interment will be held on Monday, April 4th,
2016 at the Olive Branch United Methodist Church in Prospect,
VA. Reverend John P. Campbell, a long time friend of the family,
will preside. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be
made to the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department, the Pamplin
Volunteer Fire Department and the Prince Edward Volunteer
Rescue Squad.