Actuary, professor.
Born at Winnipeg on 12 May 1941 to Patricia Catherine Moore (1917-2007) and Anthony Byrne (1911-1971), he married Donna Peter in 1965, with whom he went on to have two children.
A Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, specializing in the group and pension fields, he worked for 34 years in the insurance industry as a senior executive at Monarch Life, North American Life, and Manulife Financial. In 1997 he left the insurance industry to join the University of Manitoba, where he was appointed to the inaugural position of Warren Chair in Actuarial Science, in addition to becoming a Professor in the Asper School of Business and Director of the Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research. In these roles, he was tasked with rebuilding the Actuarial Science program. In addition to working at the University, he worked as an Actuary Consultant for Eckler Partners Limited for ten years. He retired from the University in 2004, and remained at Eckler Partners until 2009. He then rejoined the Asper School in 2010 as Executive in Residence, associated with the Warren Centre.
His family, friends, and the community appreciated him for his generosity in sharing his time and expertise with them. He served as a Chair of the Manitoba Pension Commission, was a long-time member and Chairman of the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (SMD) pension committee, as well as a member of the SMD financial committee. He was also a strong supporter of the arts and a variety of charitable organizations. He actively participated in the fundraising efforts of the United Way within the insurance and business communities. In addition to his many contributions to various charities and organizations, he was recognized by the Red Cross for his many years of blood donations.
He was a voracious reader, an avid Formula 1 racing fan, and a talented basketball player, who, in his younger years, volunteered his time to coaching and participating in wheelchair basketball. A long-time member of the Church of the Good Shepherd, he was an active volunteer within the congregation.
He died at Winnipeg on 11 January 2012 and was buried in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 14 January 2012.
“Anthony Michael (Mike) Byrne,” Byrne/O’Reilly Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 26 January 2026
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