Byron Harold Bissonnette

Byron Harold Bissonnette, age 94, passed away on Friday, March 23, 2023 at his home in Heber Springs.  He was born November 13, 1928 in East Chicago, Indiana to Byron George Bissonnette and Agnes Wahlberg.

He spent his pre-teen years assisting with a family owned a bakery in East Chicago.  As a teenager, Byron’s family purchased land and built a home in Drasco, Arkansas, where they farmed various crops. He attended and graduated from Concord High School.  He joined the U.S. Army in December of 1950 and was deployed to Korea during the Korean conflict. He was wounded in battle from a mortar round and awarded a Purple Heart.  When he returned to the states, he was stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he met the love of his life, Eva Fontenot. He left the service and attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana school of Mechanical Engineering.

His early career was spent as a mechanical designer for consulting engineering companies at various chemical process plants in Louisiana. Later in his career he worked as a piping engineer/manager at many of the nuclear power plants built after the 1970’s. He worked at Arkansas Nuclear One, and other nuclear power plants in New Jersey, Louisiana, and Texas.

Upon retirement, he and Eva settled in Heber Springs where they were active in the St. Alberts Catholic Church. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and woodworking, and built many small functional furnishings for family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Eva Bissonnette on July 27, 2020.

He is survived by his two sons, Steve Bissonnette (wife, Anne) of Heber Springs and his son, Keith Bissonnette (wife, Jody) of Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas; and his four grandchildren, Christina Bissonnette Adcock, Brad Bissonnette, Holly Bissonnette Schwartz, and Blythe Bissonnette; great grandchildren, Marshall, Aaron, and Briella.  

Services, Mass at St. Alberts Catholic Church at 11:00 Wednesday 29, 2023.  Visitation starts at 10:30.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a local hospice agency or a charity of your choice. 

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