BART RUSSELL BYRNE

Bart Byrne passed away at home on September 1st, 2025, surrounded by his wife and three children. He was born in Globe, Arizona, on December 11th, 1955, and attended Globe schools until graduating high school in 1973.

Bart began his jockey career as an apprentice in his junior year of high school, at the age of 16, working for his parents, Bill and Dottie Byrne. He would continue to be an integral part of the family horse racing business for many years to come. In his final days, he would often visit the burial site of his favorite and beloved horse, Cats Policy. The two old friends had an unbreakable bond only they could truly cherish and understand.

Bart married his wife Vicki on December 28th, 1979. They would spend the next 45 years together building a beautiful life, raising their children and grandchildren. Before his retirement from horse racing, they would spend many years splitting their time between their home in Wheatfields and the Byrne family home in Prescott. At this time, Bart, with his brothers Bill and Ken, officially took over Schwarz Lumber, the lumber yard and construction company in Miami, which the family started in 1917. Along the way, he would eventually take the reins of Apache Trail Mobile Home Park in Wheatfields, which had been built by his parents' years before. There, he would take great care in maintaining the hard work of his family in yet another homegrown business in the community. Bart took care of everyone and everything around him, with honesty and integrity in every sense of the words and never let us down.

Bart is survived by wife Vicki Byrne, children; Deanna Woods (John), Erik Byrne, Mason Byrne (Jessica); grandchildren Sarah Woods, Katelyn Woods, Owen Byrne, and Sadie Byrne, brothers; Bill Byrne and Kenny Byrne, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family will hold a private celebration of life at a later date.