Melvin G. Byrum Jr. “Glenn” of Milford, Del., was dealt his final hand on January 28, 2010, after surviving pancreatic cancer for over a year. He was 56.
Glenn was born on August 5, 1953, in Baltimore, Md., to Shirley J. Byrum and the late Melvin G. Byrum Sr.
Glenn attended Cardinal Gibbons High School in Baltimore, Md. and enlisted as a member of the Maryland Army National Guard in 1972 serving in various positions in Company A, 2nd Battalion, 175th Infantry in Glen Burnie, Md. In 1985, when the 29th Infantry Division (Light) came on line in Maryland, Glenn was selected as First Sergeant of Headquarters Company in Chestertown, Md., where he remained until his retirement. He was the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of a state security mission at the Salisbury Airport shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He also served as the NCO in charge at Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Ky. during Operation Noble Eagle 4. He was honored with several military awards including the National Defense Service Medal, Maryland State Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. He was a dedicated and respected leader by all with whom he served.
Glenn was the Broker-manager for ERA Harrington Realty in Milford for the past five years. He earned his realtor’s license in the 1980s and was a graduate of the Realtor Institute and a certified Residential Specialist. He was a member of the Sussex County Association of Realtors, Kent County Association of Realtors, the Delaware Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors, serving on several committees within those organizations and received many awards within the industry.
He spent some of his happiest times at the Mirage in Las Vegas with his wife Laura; it was also in Vegas where they married. Glenn spent one night a month for many years playing poker with a close-knit group of friends. He was a dedicated Baltimore Ravens fan. He loved to cook-out and sample new foods. In the summer he could be found searching farmer’s markets and road side stands for the perfect tomato and the largest watermelons.
Survivors include his wife of eight years, Laura Jarman Byrum; his children Melissa Walls and her husband Rhett of Bear, Glenn D. Byrum of Wilmington, Matthew C. Byrum and his wife Julia of Lincoln; his mother Shirley J. Byrum; three brothers Terry A. Byrum and his wife Dorothy, Russell W. Byrum and Jeffrey G. Byrum, all of Baltimore, Md.; his in-laws Harry and Carolyn Jarman, brother and sister-in-law Terry and Linda Saccardi, brother and sister-in-law Harry and Jody Jarman; several nieces and nephews, and the family cat, Cowboy.
A Celebration of Glenn’s life will be 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at Rogers Funeral Home, 301
Lakeview Ave., Milford, where friends may call beginning at 12:30 p.m. Interment will be private at a later date.
Milford, Del. —
