Byron Garth Greff

Master Corporal Byron Greff was a member of the Canadian Army, a soldier who easily made friends and enjoyed the camaraderie and purpose of military life. A competitive sports enthusiast, he especially loved hockey.

He was born on August 11, 1983, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan to Candy and Greg Greff.

Byron was a member of the Third Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) based in Edmonton, Alberta. He was a highly skilled soldier, also trained as a paratrooper and an integral part of the reconnaissance platoon. He died on October 29, 2011, while on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, having just returned to the country after a visit home to Alberta. He was serving as an advisor to Afghan military personnel when he died.

Byron was riding inside an armoured NATO bus when a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-filled car which impacted the bus. He was the first Canadian soldier to die during that training mission, and the last Canadian soldier to lose his life in Afghanistan.

At the time of his passing, Byron was a devoted husband and father, married to Lindsay whom he had met in Edmonton. They had two children, Kellar and Brielle.

Byron’s mother Candy highlights his positive personality as a key part of who he was. “He could tell jokes for hours, that boy! He was just hilarious, full of fun but also serious,” she says. “When he had a job to do, he did it and was very focused.”

The path leading to Byron’s military journey began when he made a personal decision to join the cadet program in Red Deer, AB. He was recognized for his accomplishments with the 1390 RCACC Top Recruit award. He went on to basic training in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and then to battle school in Wainwright, AB.

After his passing, several meaningful ways to remember Byron were unveiled. Lacombe Composite High School in Alberta placed a memorial bench to honour him in their outdoor classroom. The Lacombe Royal Canadian Legion Branch #79 named their upper hall the “Byron Greff Memorial Hall” in his memory. In the northeastern part of Saskatchewan now lies a pristine lake - “Greff Lake” - named for him by the province. His mother also notes the symbolic LAV III armoured personnel carrier found in the Fairview Cemetery in Lacombe, AB, where Byron now rests.

Source: The Royal Canadian Legion