Joe Brooks Byars, 91 passed away Sunday, August 16, 2026, at his home in Murfreesboro, TN. Born in the Dibrell community of Warren County, he was the son of the late Perry Green Byars and Marjorie Lois Griffith Byars. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Patsy Gail Byars.
Mr. Joe is survived by his wife of 58 years, Merrile Ann (Artist) Byars of Murfreesboro: 4 children: Benjamin Brooks (Tiffany) Byars of Murfreesboro, Jonathan David (Vanessa) Byars of Smyrna; Amy Jo (Shane) Anderson of WA; Joseph Russell (Candice) Byars of Murfreesboro. Grandchildren: Katherine “Katie” Byars; Isabella, Ava, and Sophia Byars; Jazmin and Jesse Anderson; Tyler and Sean Byars; also, his brother, Jack Griffith (Edna) Byars. Many cousins, nephews, nieces and cousins are also surviving.
Joe was a member of the Crescent Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, TN. Mr. Byars was also a former member of the Woodbury Church of Christ in Woodbury, TN and the Taylor Center Church of Christ in Taylor, MI where he was an elder and the treasurer. He was a veteran of the United States Army stationed in Dexheim, Germany from 1957-1959. He was an Alumni of Wayne State University in Detroit, MI where he received his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. He worked at the Ford Motor Company for 30 years as an Engineer in the Glass Division. He retired from Ford in 1997 and moved to TN where he continued to enjoy his hobbies of: fishing, hunting, photography, baking bread (15 pounds at a time), gardening, and bee keeping.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, October 4th at 2 o’clock at the Woodbury Church of Christ.
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This obituary was published by Woodbury Funeral Home.
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