By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— There is a man in Pelham who most residents could pick out of a crowd.

Some may remember him as the gentleman who holds open the door for members of Greater Shelby Chamber luncheon, others may have seen his face at every Pelham City Council meeting and the rest may have noticed him diligently working at Ballantrae Golf Club.

Butch Byrd joined the Ballantrae team Dec. 1, 2005 as the general manager, handling the overall club operations.

On Nov. 17, dozens of residents, former mentees and city leaders gathered at Ballantrae Golf Club to celebrate Byrd’s retirement and to thank him for his years of service.

“I want to tell you how much it meant to me when you came here, how much it meant to the city and how much it meant to these folks that play golf out here,” said former Pelham Mayor Bobby Hayes, who brought Byrd to Pelham. “We appreciate you and I wish you the very best.”

People filed into the clubhouse, shaking hands and embracing Byrd and his wife, Carole. Hal Brown, who will be taking over operations of the golf club, said a few words and handed it over to Mayor Gary Waters and Hayes.

Hayes originally plucked Byrd from NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa. Hayes remembered needing Byrd to get the golf course off the ground and to serve as a leader in the community.

“He’s as good a guy as I have met in many years,” Hayes said. “Butch Byrd is a good man. It’s a loss for us because he is the guy that got us off the ground.”

Waters told the crowd how he had tried to talk Byrd out of retiring, attempting to keep him as long as possible.  Waters also publicly commended Byrd on his hard work and dedication to Pelham at the City Council meeting Nov. 16.

“We are glad to have known you,” Waters said. “We are glad to be a part of you. We are appreciative, so much, for what you have done.”

After words from the mayors, Brown held an open microphone forum, allowing anyone with a “Butch Byrd story” to come up and say a few words.

About a dozen people approached the microphone, but had no funny stories to tell. They had only words of encouragement, thanks and admiration for Byrd.

Several former students and mentees attributed their success to Byrd, expressing great gratitude for him. Many friends shared photos and plaques depicting memories and thanks.

Many shared stories and echoed the theme that, “Everyone (Byrd) came into contact to, you made them better.”

Charlie Jones is one of Byrd’s former students. He told attendees that he first took piano lessons from Carole before taking golf lessons from Byrd. He left the crowd with words expressing how much Byrd means to him.

“My dad passed away in 1992, so now (Byrd’s) it whether he likes it or not,” Jones laughed. “Every time I have a question I wish I could ask my dad, I lean back and I say, ‘No, I don’t have to call Butch because I know exactly what he would tell me.’ When you’ve got somebody in your life that is a driving force like that, what other stories do you want to hear?”