Retired Superior Court Justice, Chris Byron, a decorated Korean War Hero, died unexpectedly at Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston on March 9, 2010. He was 82.

Born in New Bedford, Byron was one of five children of James and Evelyn Byron of Wareham.  Raised in Buzzards Bay, he learned the family seafood and restaurant business as a child.

After attending Bourne High School for three years, he went to Norwich University in Northfield, VT, where he combined his senior year of high school as well as his first year of college.

In 1948, he graduated from Norwich with honors and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering.  He was listed as an outstanding senior in the National Collegiate "Who's Who."

A Korean War veteran, Byron served with distinction in the Army from 1948 to 1952. In July 1950, Lt. Byron was shipped directly to the Korean front as a tank platoon commander with the First Cavalry Division. By August he was wounded while leading an assault and was hospitalized in Japan. Insisting that he be allowed to rejoin his unit, he further distinguished himself by leading a daring armored patrol deep into enemy territory thereby eliminating a vital Communist stronghold.

By March 19th, 1951 the Army decided that the four-times-wounded young officer had had enough combat. For his services he received the Silver and Bronze Stars for gallantry in action, the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation, the Korean Service Medal with four Battle Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea Presidential Citation.

Upon discharge from the Army, Judge Byron enrolled in the Boston University School of Law.  He graduated third in his class in 1955, launching what was to be a brilliant legal career that began with a clerkship in the office of Raymond S. Wilkins, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court.

Among his accomplishments, Byron was named Special Assistant Attorney General under Attorney Generals Edward W. Brooke, Edward T. Martin, Eliot L. Richardson, and Robert H. Quinn.  He also served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Taunton and New Bedford Redevelopment Authority and Assistant District Attorney in the Southern District of Massachusetts, as well as Counsel for Southeastern Massachusetts University, the predecessor of University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for about seven years.

For twenty-one years, Byron practiced general law and became a senior partner in the law firm of Abramson, Titus, Byron and Putnam in New Bedford.

In 1974, Judge Byron was appointed a Third District Court Judge of Bristol by Governor Francis W. Sargent, who praised him as a brilliant lawyer whose attributes of humility, compassion, firmness and understanding of the law would make him a good judge.

Also in 1974, Judge Byron was appointed justice of the Southern District Appelate Division of District Courts.  In 1979, he was appointed Associate Justice of the Superior Court by Governor Edward King.

At his retirement party in 1993, he received accolades and well wishes of his colleagues. The words, "inspirational", "truly a local hero", "honest", "sincere", "passionate", " a man of great charity", and "a lawyer's judge were common.

Longtime colleague Superior Court Justice David A. McLaughlin pointed out there are many people who went to college never knowing that the scholarships that helped get them there were funded by Judge Byron's own money.

Boston Magazine ranked Judge Byron among the top sixteen judges in the Commonwealth in their February 1979 issue.

As a retired Judge, Byron served as court-appointed arbitrator, mediator, trustee and special master, including that of discovery master in complex litigation, by the Superior Court; Appeals Court conciliator; private arbitration and mediation of personal injury claims, building construction, landlord and tenant disputes and medical claims; consulting for attorneys representing plaintiffs and attorneys representing defendants.

In September of 1999, at Fort Riley, Kansas, Byron was granted and assigned the distinction of Distinguished Member of the 70th Tank Battalion by order of the Secretary of the Army.

In addition to Judge Byron's many military and legal accomplishments, he was very active in his community. He has been a member of the Rochester Planning Board, Rochester Council of Aging, Rochester Historical District Commission and a member of the Marion Veterans of Foreign Wars.

On November 17, 2002, he received the prestigious St. Thomas More Award for distinguished service in the legal field at a Red Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River.

In 2005, the Hellenic Bar Association honored Judge Byron at a reception hosted by the Greek Consulate in Boston. Being the first judge of Hellenic descent appointed to the bench in Massachusetts, he was presented with HBA's Distinguished Jurist Award for lifetime achievement in the law and the advancement of justice as a member of the Massachusetts judiciary.

Belonging to Benjamin Cushing Post 2425 Veterans of Foreign Wars in Marion, he served as VFW Post Commander in 2008.

Judge Gifford was a strong supporter of literacy. For the past twenty years, he has reached many children by going into classrooms in cities and towns to read to them as a part of the Reading is Fundamental program.

In June, 2002, Judge Byron was chosen by St. George Greek Orthodox Church to receive a Laity Award presented by His Eminence Metropolitan Methodius of Aneon, the presiding hierach of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Boston.  It was presented to recipients from each parish of the Diocese of Boston and New England for their dedication and commitment to the Holy Church and Orthodox Faith.

Judge Byron, whose forebears, included Greek Orthodox priests was recognized for his dedication and services to the parish. He has served the parish faithfully as a member of the parish council for over forty, consecutive years: holding the offices of president, vice-president, treasurer, assistant treasurer and chairman of many functions and committees of the parish council. He was the longest serving member of the parish council.

His war exploits are well documented in at least two major books concerning the Korean War. The most recent one being "War Stories of the Tankers," by Michael Green, published in February of 2008.

As a husband, father, grandfather, brother and son, he was very devoted to his family. He and his wife, Priscilla, enjoyed travelling together and seeing the world. They enjoyed sailing with their two daughters in his 41-foot sailboat, EL Greco II. Judge Byron loved skiing, gardening, dancing, singing, riding his motorcycle, reciting poetry, storytelling and talking to anyone and everyone. He was especially proud of his knowledge of words and was a huge history buff.

Survivors include his wife, Priscilla, daughters Christina, of San Francisco, and Dimitra Dugal, of Wyoming, his grandchildren Brendan, Addison and Elijah, brothers Charles of Florida, Alexander and his wife Suzanne, his sisters Flo and Joanne, nieces and nephews.

A funeral was held at Saunders Dwyer Home for Funerals, Route 6, Mattapoisett, on Sunday, March 14, from 3 to 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Monday, March 15 at 11 a.m. at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Dartmouth and was followed by a burial at National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Saint George Greek Orthodox Church or Neediest Family Fund.