In 1988, Byng and I met through work, and it wasn't long before he was a cherished friend. We worked very closely together for 15 years. Byng sang beautifully at our wedding , and as time went by, our families grew close. He often joked about having an all female family right down to Bailey their dog. Not that he would have wanted it any other way.
Byng enjoyed spending time with our son Calum after he was born and he loved his Uncle Byng very much. As he turned 2, we were living with Byng and Virginia, whilst we built a home to come join them in Cochrane. Byng's generosity knew no bounds.
Calum, like many 2 year old boys , was obsessed with tools and machines. Uncle Byng gave him a blue wrench for his birthday, a real one !! Calum is now a 24 year old BMW mechanic, who still treasures his blue wrench from Uncle Byng.
I too treasured the gifts Byng gave ; his sage advice, his time & help, boundless friendship and generosity.
My heart breaks for Virginia and the girls. I know their immense faith is helping them deal with their tragic loss. Thank you all for sharing him, it was the greatest gift you could have given anyone who knew him.
