Byron Russell Colcher, Jr., 75, lifelong Wichita resident, died Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas.

He was born on July 6, 1949 in Wichita, the son of Byron Russell and Dorothy Owen Colcher. Byron graduated from Wichita South High School in 1967 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Wichita State University in 1982. He married Anita Spell in Wichita in 1982 and they later divorced.

Byron served as a medical technician in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1972 during the Vietnam Conflict. After receiving an honorable discharged he returned to Wichita and went to work for Beechcraft, where he was employed for nearly 40 years, advancing from the welding shop to performing failure analysis as a metallurgical engineer.

Byron ran over 20 marathons in his life and was active with the Run Wichita Running Club for decades. He continued running despite suffering from Parkinson's disease, and his presence at organized events was always a source of inspiration for members of the running community.

Byron was also an avid reader and intellectual. He had multiple short stories published in Wichita State Univerity's Mikrokosmos Literary Journal and drafted a manuscript for a novel recounting his experiences during and after his military service. He was deeply interested in military history, especially the American Civil War in which one of his ancestors died fighting for the Union in Tennessee.

Most importantly, Byron was a family man, and he prioritized building a good life for his children above all else. He was never hesitant to express his pride in his family's accomplishments, often using his idiosyncratic brand of acerbic humor to make everyone know they were loved.

Byron is preceded in death by his parents and brother Edward Colcher.

Survivors include his children Nathan Colcher and wife Sheena of Wichita, Adrienne Synos and husband Jeffrey, and Drew Colcher of Austin, Texas; sister Susan Vehik of Norman, Oklahoma, and three grandchildren Lashyra Colcher, Liam Colcher, and Isabelle Synos.

As per Byron's wishes, no services are planned at this time.

Arrangements are by Affordable Cremations Plus, Wichita, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established with the Parkinson's Foundation.

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