Kristie Lea (Ritchie) Byrnes

Kristie Lea (Ritchie) Byrnes, age 59 of Savanna, Illinois passed away unexpectedly Monday, January 4, 2021 at home. She was a loving Mother, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Great-Aunt, and Friend to many. A visitation will be held 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Friday, January 8, 2021 at the Law-Jones Funeral Home, Savanna. Social distancing and masks required. A private family funeral service will be held on Saturday, and you may watch from home on FB Live Law Jones Group at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 9, 2021, or thereafter. A memorial has been established. The FB Live Group Link follows, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1495253024014505

Kristie was born January 23, 1961 in Clinton, Iowa, the daughter of Boyd Russell and Sally (Yates) Ritchie. She is a 1979 graduate of the Savanna High School and also attended Mount St. Claire and Art Institute of Colorado. Kristie married Dan Byrnes in 1983, later divorced, but remained lifelong friends.

“Kristie Doolittle” as she was known, had a passion for rescuing and caring for any and all of God’s creatures throughout her life; she will be greatly missed by her trusty sidekick Luna. Kristie said it best, “I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a crayon, pencil or paintbrush in my hand. After spending years trying to fit into conventional jobs and hoping that one day I would be an artist, I realized that I AM and have always been an ARTIST. Since that day I have worked exclusively on my art and I have never looked back … Paint brushes and cans of paint define me. With a brush and paints I can translate what my mind sees, my soul feels, and my ears hear; interpreting the ideas of the senses into a visual. Every day my brushes, paints, and ideas challenge and teach me; fueling my passion for creating my art.”

Kristie will be dearly missed by her two sons, Thomas Byrnes of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado and Luke Byrnes of Wheatridge, Colorado; her mother, Sally Ritchie of Savanna; two sisters, Ramona (John) Coffey of Hanover, Illinois, and Nancy (Allan) DeSpain of Savanna; two brothers, John (Beth) Ritchie of Savanna and Joe (Barbara) Ritchie of Savanna; and many nieces, nephews and great aunt nieces and nephews.

Kristie is preceded in death by her father, Dude Ritchie in 2012; brother Raymond in 1994; sister-in-law, Susan Ritchie in 2011; nephew Andrew Reed in 2009; niece Sarah Reed in 1979; great nephew, Coen Boyd Ritchie in 2012; and two uncles, Raymond in 1964 and Barney in 1980.