Ross Earl Byers died Friday, November 24^th in Winchester Medical Center of a massive heart attack. Ross was born July 22, 1941 in Elgin, Illinois, to Eunice Klein Byers and Robert Byers. He grew up in Vincennes, Indiana, on the largest orchard in the Midwest, managed by the Byers family, Dixie Orchard, and was a fourth-generation fruit grower. He loved flowers and plants and at one time had 400 orchid plants in his sunroom. He grew many of the azaleas in his yard from seed. As a college student, he had a 4-acre red raspberry patch and hired all the neighborhood kids to pick for him.

Ross was employed by Dixie Orchard Company, USDA Entomology Research Division, Applacres, Inc., U.S. Army Signal Corp, Purdue University, and Michigan State University. He received B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees from Purdue University in Horticulture Science followed by a Post Doctorate Fellowship in Biochemistry at MSU before coming to VA Tech in 1971. During his tenure at VA Tech he became full Professor and Director of the Fruit Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Winchester, VA. He selected several research and extension projects that were of major economic importance to the apple and peach industries. His work was peer reviewed and published by numerous state, regional, national and international societies. Some of his projects included vole control, hormonal control of fruit tree flowering, fruit set and thinning, fruit maturation, inhibition of fruit drop and subsequent increases in fruit tree flowering, fruit set and thinning, fruit maturation, inhibition of fruit drop and subsequent increases in fruit size, and control of fruit cracking. He also introduced the concept of Tree Row Volume calculation of various tree sizes as the primary basis for chemical rates per acre that reduced over/ under spraying.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Winchester, VA, where he served as Elder and Sunday School teacher. He supported his beloved wife, Pat, as organist and children’s choir director at the church. Ross and Patricia Brown Byers met in 1^st grade and later married on June 4, 1967. They celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary with a family cruise.

He is survived by his wife, daughter Lisa Marie Strimple (Tom), and son Stephen Andrew Byers (Laura), grandchildren: Addison Byers, Anya Strimple, Avonlea Byers, Joy Strimple, Adelaide Byers, Vika Strimple, and Avery Byers as well as brother David Byers, sister Margaret Klein, sister-in-law Joan Allen, a niece Julia Byers and a nephew Mark Allen. He is preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of life service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 2 pm on Thursday, November 30^th, 2023. Officiating will be Rev. Michael Hafele and Rev. Amanda Maguire Thomas. Memorial contributions can be made to the organ fund at First Presbyterian Church.