Grady Byrd ’57, who was well-known throughout the Asheville area for his business sense and civic duties, ultimately wanted to be remembered as “a lifelong Greenie” in his obituary.
Christ School is incredibly saddened to share that one of its most faithful supporters passed away Wednesday. Grady was 84.
Grady was the first of three generations in his family to attend Christ School and later served on the Board of Trustees. He attended nearly 70 Christ School-Asheville School football games.
Grady was born in Asheville. After graduating from Christ School and then Wofford College, he worked a decade for the Belk company before starting his own business in 1970. Grady's clothing and feed & seed stores were so successful in western North Carolina and parts of Tennessee that he was opening one new store a year in the 1980s.
Along with Christ School, Grady served on the boards for Asheville Country Day and Saint Genevieve of the Pines, which merged in 1987 to become what is now Carolina Day School.
There will be a celebration of Grady's life Saturday at 2 p.m. in St. Joseph's Chapel.
Grady's obituary: https://www.grocefuneralhome.com/obits/grady-gideon-byrd/