Byrges cousin, Sharon Chapman, shared news of his death in a Facebook post shared on Thursday.
“He was a beautiful soul who made people laugh without even trying.
He was the ‘Bobby’ character in severalErnestmovies with Jim Varney.
Credit:Bill Byrge/Facebook
I always teased him of being a ‘star’ in our family.
Chapman continued, “Heaven gained a sweet soul today.
Love you, Billy.
Gailard Sartain and Bill Byrge in ‘Ernest Saves Christmas’.Touchstone Pictures
See you soon!”
Byrge’s first onscreen credit came in 1985 as the gas station attendant in sci-fi comedyDr.
Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, which also starred Jim Varney.
Byrge had an additional uncredited role in the 1988 shortHarry the Dirty Dog.
Touchstone Pictures
Throughout his life, Byrge also worked as a librarian in Nashville,Chapman told PEOPLE.
“If you saw Billy in person, I mean, he was a little character.
He was a jokester at times.
“That’s how he got started in movies.
And he was reluctant.
He didn’t want to leave his day job.
He said the only way is if he could keep his day job, he would do it.”
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“The other thing was he didn’t want to talk in the movies.
He just didn’t.
“That’s what was funny about it.
He had this way of making faces.”
Per the report, Byrge never married and didn’t have any children.
A memorial service for the actor will be held in Nashville in the coming days.
