We lost Tyler abruptly sometime in the early morning darkness of April 30. He sneaked away from us quietly and unexpectedly and it broke our hearts into tiny jagged pieces. But an interesting thing happens when you’re sitting on the floor with your splintered heart. Friends and family and strangers show up with food, and hugs, and – most importantly – really funny stories. And suddenly we find ourselves laughing until our ears hurt.

Tyler grew up on Bainbridge Island where kids can ride their bikes everywhere so long as they wear a helmet (that’s for you, Lee) and get home when the dinner bell rings. He and his sister Morgan spent their childhoods running wild in the woods, usually accompanied by a pack of neighbor kids and a couple of dogs. Tyler wore a cape made from his trusty green blanket, armed himself with a tree-branch sword, and bravely battled Orcs (which were actually stinging nettle). He selflessly stood sentry in the treehouse fort his dad built, which was under constant attack from his sister and her friends. The only thing he feared was the Blakely Beast, whose howls sent him fleeing the battlefield. Beware: Tyler and his friends swore that they actually saw the Beast loping across the road at Mill Heights.

Tyler was a big strong kid who climbed to the highest echelon of athletic achievements. He was the 2009 Foos Ball Champion of Woodward Middle School. And he was number 43 IN THE WORLD on the Guitar Hero leader board. You heard that right folks. Tyler also was a really good wrestler. He loved his teammates, his coach and even the constant dieting. The only dark day in his promising career occurred when he was slated to wrestle a girl at the state championships. Tyler was a gentleman who wrote thank you notes and called his parents’ friends “Mr. and Mrs.” The girl, therefore, presented an unexpected challenge. He took a deep breath and immediately pinned her, but he always felt a little guilty about that.

To every single person in the world’s amusement, Tyler’s mom, Lee, used to complain that Tyler read too much. (She also whined that Morgan ate too many vegetables, but I digress). Tyler always had a book with him. And these weren’t your typical teenage graphic novels. He read serious classics like Treasure Island and Gulliver’s Travels. Morgan says he had a secret reading life that involved hiding under his blankets with a book and flashlight after his parents insisted that he go to sleep. But she’s probably just throwing him under the bus because we now know about her vegetable problem.

Tyler had an enormous love for his friends and family, which they returned with vigor. He was blessed indeed. We will remember him with a smile when we raise a glass of Natty Ice, play the theme song from Frozen (which he sang with sincere enthusiasm), gather with people we love, and especially when we hear the howl of the Blakely Beast. I’m telling you, it’s real.

Please join Lee, Jeff and Morgan to celebrate Tyler’s extraordinary life at 10 a.m. May 21at at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church on Bainbridge Island. Please wear your favorite color.