Mychal Byrd

Mychal Douglas "Silky" Byrd, 40, of Cape Girardeau sustained extensive injuries in a motor vehicle accident July 29, 2018, near mile marker 94 at Ramsey Creek on Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau. Complications from the injuries resulted in his death Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.

He was born Dec. 10, 1977, in Jamaica, New York, to Leslie Douglas Byrd and Barbara Kellum.

Mychal was baptized and confirmed at Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Jamaica and was a graduate of Springfield Garden High School in Springfield Garden, New York. During high school, he worked for his stepfather, Salvatore Lanza, at Salena's Meats and Lanza Pizzeria.

He resided several years in Pennsylvania, moving to Cape Girardeau in 2016. The past two years, he was employed at Gilster-Mary Lee in Perryville, Missouri.

Mychal's hobbies were listening to music and watching movies. He is affectionately remembered for his generous, patient and forgiving spirit and as a well-rounded, easy-going, non-judgmental "goof ball," who was loved by his family and friends.

Loving survivors include his mother, Barbara Kellum of Cape Girardeau; his father, Leslie Byrd of New York; his stepfather, Salvatore Lanza; his stepgrandfather, Robert King of Cape Girardeau; four children, Christopher Bradley of Islip Long Island, New York, Jada T. Byrd of Weston, Florida, Sar-riah Britt of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Issys Byrd of Irvington, New Jersey; and seven siblings, Kenya Darthard of Manhattan, New York, Salena Lanza of Cape Girardeau, Nicole Byrd and Leslie Byrd of St. Albans, New York, Brandon Byrd of Elmont, New York, Khalib Lanza of Brooklyn, New York, and Kareem Lanza of Manhattan.

He was preceded in death by his paternal and maternal grandparents.

Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Funeral will be at noon Saturday at the funeral home, with Elder Freddie Pullen officiating. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery in Cape Girardeau.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.