Byerly RV's Russ Patton Passes Away

Submitted by Warren Patton, Byerly RV

Russ Patton, of Byerly RV Center, passed unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 11.  Russ was born in Jackson, TN and grew up in Kirkwood, MO.  His father John Patton purchased Byerly Trailer & Manufacturing Co Inc from Walter Byerly in the 1960’s. 

Russ attended MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois before serving in the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War as an M-50 Ontos Mechanic.  He served in country during the Tet Offensive and left the Marine Corps with the rank of Sergeant.

After his service he briefly lived in San Clemente, CA before co-founding a travel trailer company, Intrepid Inc., in Elkhart, Indiana.  Russ returned to St. Louis in the early 1970’s, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, and worked for his father at Byerly Trailer in Des Peres and Manchester, MO.  During this time Russ established a stand-alone RV parts store, Accessory Headquarters, which sold to retail consumers and was a distributor for many local RV dealers.

Russ purchased Byerly from his father in the 1980’s and built the dealership’s name throughout the St. Louis area and beyond with a series of radio commercials he wrote and narrated, plus numerous Outpost Magazine articles and stories he penned which celebrated the RV lifestyle and the adventure it offered customers. In 1999, Russ moved Byerly RV to a state-of-the-art facility in Eureka, MO, where he commissioned the murals that capture famous American landscapes which adorn the dealership’s walls.

Russ served on the board and as President of Missouri RVDA, and as a board member and President of Midwest Gateway RVDA. He served on the Board of Directors for the Mike Molino RV Learning Center from 2013-2017.  In August of 2020, Russ officially retired and sold Byerly RV to his son, Warren, who had been General Manager since 2015.

Russ received an Honorary Doctorate from MacMurray College and served on the MacMurray Board of Trustees. He was a Rotarian who was actively involved in the international exchange program for students.  Russ also was an avid traveler and adventurer who had been to five continents and embarked on numerous excursions to Mayan and Aztec historical sites.

Russ Patton is survived by his wife, Adrienne; his son, Warren; daughter-in-law Sarah; granddaughter, Moira; his siblings Marcia Lee(David), Pete Patton(Phyllis), Frances Smith(Jay), Guy Patton(Sandy); and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a private ceremony for family on Friday August 27 at 6:00pm, but the livestream link will be available to all on the Bopp Chapel website. (www.boppchapel.com)

There will be a public visitation and celebration of life on Saturday August 28 at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Road Kirkwood, MO from 12:00-4:00pm.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are appreciated in Russ Patton’s name to the Kirkwood Rotary Club, Inc. P.O. Box 220533, Kirkwood, MO 63122-0533. The Kirkwood Rotary Club will combine all donations into one contribution in Russ’s name to the Rotary World Fund.