Spokane adventurer and doctor dies on Cuba

Seattle Times/

Dr. Richard Byrd, a Spokane pulmonary specialist and globe-trotting adventurer, died last Tuesday after suffering a blow to the head in a fall while on the coast of Cuba.

Byrd, 82, was traveling with his wife, Laurie, and a group led by National Geographic Expeditions. The adventure travel organization has clearance to lead Cuba cultural trips that include U.S. citizens, who are otherwise restricted from entering the nation.

Byrd had inexhaustible energy that allowed him to continue a medical practice at Rockwood Clinic while satisfying a world-class appetite for climbing mountains, paddling kayaks and hiking treacherous trails.

"The group was hiking and he was out in front, as usual," Laurie said, describing his fatal accident. "He apparently slipped and hit his head. He never regained consciousness."

She said she finds comfort in knowing he was out exploring new territories and doing what he loved.

"On the other hand, this was such an incredibly active and vital man who still saw patients — and he was gone in an instant. It takes some getting used to."

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