Tom was born December 3, 1935, in the original Cedar Canyon Community southeast of the Hydro Community. Tom was the youngest and 6 ^th son of Ozzie Tillman Byrum Sr. and Ada (Thomason) Byrum and passed away Monday, November 22, 2021, at Corn Heritage Village of Corn, at the age of 85 years, 11 months and 19 days.

Tom started to school in a rural school in the Bethel Community until the 4 ^th grade when the family moved to the Hydro Community.  He graduated from Hydro High School in 1954 and upon graduation he enlisted for the military draft.  Tom entered the US Army in December 1954.  After basic training, Tom spent 18 months of his military service in Germany.  He was honorably discharged in December 1956.

Tom attended Blackwood Business School after his discharge from the Army and worked at several jobs until 1964, when he became employed in the telephone industry.  Tom married Judy Dick on May 17, 1965.  They traveled with Tom's work and lived in many places including Missouri, Idaho, Oklahoma, Iowa, Michigan and Colorado.  Their son, Tab, was born in December 1966.  They all loved the construction business and the travel.  In 1970, Tom took a job at Cimarron Telephone Company in Mannford, Oklahoma.  He had previously done construction for the Goatcher family and Cimarron.  They loved living in Mannford, had a wonderful church family and Tom loved the lake community.  It was always his intent to return to western Oklahoma and the opportunity presented itself in 1981 when he went to work for Hinton Telephone Company.  Tom worked for Hinton Telephone until 2016 when at the age of 80 he retired.  He loved the telephone industry and the people that he worked with and was sad to see that chapter end.  Tom was an avid quail hunter and always had a bird dog that was his pride and joy.  Fishing and hunting brought him so much happiness and he was sad to reach a place where he wasn't able to be out of doors and do what he loved.  Tom managed to hold on to the major portion of his family's farm and wanted to go for a ride and check on the farm daily as long a he was able to ride in the pickup.  Tom suffered a stroke in September 2021 and has spent the last portion of his life at Corn Heritage Village in Corn.

Tom is survived by his wife of 56 years, Judy Byrum of their home in Hydro; his son, Thomas A. "Tab" Byrum, Jr.; three sisters-in-law, Linda Baker and husband Everett, Rita Kimble and Deborah Szynowiak; many nieces, nephews and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Bill, Ozzie Jr., Lloyd, Jake and Homer.

Memorials may be made to the Hydro 1 ^st Responders or to the Corn Heritage Village Golf Cart Fund.