Katie Byard retires from BJ

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Reporter Katie Byard retired from the BJ after 37 years, including a major chunk on the education and local business news beats. She will continue to do her food column for the BJ as she has for 6½ years after Beacon food writer Lisa Abraham left the newspaper to take another job in Columbus.

 

Ohio State graduate Katie’s farewell (as a BJ full-timer) column appeared in today’s BJ.

 

BJ management gave Katie a small aluminum plaque created by Akron artist Don Drumm. On one side is one of Drumm’s signature sun faces. On the other are the words “Thank you for telling the story of Akron.”

 

Tim Smith and Keith McKnight hired both Katie and Jim Carney, later her husband, in 1983.

 

Former BJ super investigative reporter Bill Hershey put their rental car on his credit card so that Jim and Katie could even get to their BJ interview.

Jim

 and Katie were married in 1987 in Richfield and honeymooned in New Orleans.

Katie recalled that wedding day in 1987:

“It was a beautiful fall day in Richfield. Jim and I decided it would be fun to dress up like a couple from the 50s (we were ahead of the curve when it came to themed events!), make (sons) Patrick, Will and Michael dress up like little maitre d’s, enjoy the evening with a bunch of friends in the upper room of the Richfield Tavern, share too many cocktail weenies with the group, cut a cake from the fab Budd's Bakery in Akron (decorated with Mickey and Minnie Mouse) and say ‘I do.’ Other stuff from Common Book of Prayer, thank u very much.

"Miss those who were there and are no longer with us. Blessed for those still supporting us and new friends we have made along the way. Blessed to share my life with Jimmy.”

Then they zipped off to their New Orleans honeymoon.

One of their first fancy dates during their 33 years of marriage was to the former French restaurant Maison Martel, also in the Merriman Valley. The beloved eatery closed years ago.

 

Patrick Carney, Will Carney and Michael Carney are Jim’s sons by Mary Stormer.

 

The Carney boys' paternal grandparents are Wheeling, West Virginia native William "Bill" James Carney, who died in 2010, and Madge Slate Carney, a former Army nurse who passed away in 1995.