Leland Stanley Byars, 82, of Columbus, MS passed away Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Columbus, MS.

A memorial visitation will be held Saturday, November 18, 2017, from 10:00-12:00 PM at Lowndes Funeral Home, Columbus, MS.

Mr. Byars was born May 11, 1935, in Millport, AL to the late Leland "Doc" Collin Byars and Tommie Hyndrick Byars Atkins. He was a 1953 graduate of Lee High School. Mr. Byars was a member of Church of Good Shepherd. He worked as an engineer for United Technologies for many years. Mr. Byars loved to garden and he was also an avid Ole Miss Football fan. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister- Nell Dunnam and his step-father- Bascom Andrew Atkins.

Mr. Byars is survived by his daughters- Cheryl (Danny) Hicks of Columbus, MS, and Cynthia (Jay) Smelser of Christiansburg, VA; son- Joey (Renae) Johnson of Blue Springs, MS; grandchildren- Josh (Jessica) Grabowski, Patience Johnson, and Hayden Johnson; great-grandchildren- Alyssa Grabowski, and Carter Grabowski; and his sister- Marie (Robert) Doughty.

Memorials may be made to the Columbus Lowndes Humane Society, P.O. Box 85, Columbus, MS 39703.