Dennis L. Byrnes

Dennis Lloyd Byrnes, 78, of Weymouth, Massachusetts, formerly of Devils Lake, North Dakota, passed away on January 21, 2021 at Carney Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts from COVID19 related complications.  

Dennis was born on September 23, 1942 at Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake to Edwin and Cora Byrnes.  He graduated from Devils Lake High School in 1960 and immediately joined the United States Navy where he served honorably with the U.S. Pacific Fleet until 1963.  He enrolled at the University of North Dakota in 1964, graduating magna cum laude in 1967.  Dennis married the former Sondra Sand in 1967 in Grand Forks, ND.  Dennis and Sondra then moved to Massachusetts where Dennis attended graduate school at Brandeis University in Waltham.  After receiving a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology in 1972, Dennis joined the faculty of the Psychology Department, University of Massachusetts in Boston where he frequently taught the “Advanced Cognitive Psychology” course and served on committees of students who did their synthesis or thesis work in cognitive psychology.   His research focused on human memory and learning.  He co-authored The Psychology of Human Memory which was published in 1981.    Dennis retired in 2004 after 31 years as a professor at UMass.

Dennis enjoyed classical music, philosophy, and a wide variety of written works.  Dennis’s wit, kindness and sense of humor will be missed by all who knew him.

Dennis was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin and Cora and his brother, Michael.  He is survived by his sister, Laurie (Darrell) Meier of Silver Spring, MD.   

No memorial service will be held due to COVID19 restrictions.  Friends who would like to remember Dennis are encouraged to donate to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, or the charity of their choice in his name.