By Staff
Taylor "Tim" Tyler, 70, of Plym Road, Niles, died at 11:04 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2008, at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in Saint Joseph, after a brief illness.
Memorial services will be at noon on Saturday, May 24, at the First Presbyterian Church, 13 S. 4th St., Niles.
Visitation will be on Saturday, at 10 a.m. at the church.
Private family interment will be at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.
He was born on July 14, 1937, in Chicago, Ill. to Robert Tyler, Sr. and Dortha Marie (Taylor) Tyler.
Moving to Niles in 1945 from Glen Ellyn, Ill, he graduated from Niles High School in 1955.
He received his A.B. degree in 1959 from Dartmouth College and in 1960, from the Dartmouth-Tuck Business School, he earned a masters in business administration. While at Darmouth, he was a member of Casque &Gauntlet Society and affiliated with Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
At Fort Knox, Ky., he served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
Tyler began his career as a regional sales manager with Tyler Refrigeration, a company started by his uncle, Jerry Tyler and one in which his father, Robert Tyler, Sr., was chief executive officer.
Later with Terry Linville, he formed Tyler-Linville Chevrolet (TLC). He then founded Tyler Automotive of which he was the former president.
Active in many areas, he was a member of First Presbyterian Church. He served the Republican Party as Presidential Advance man.
For more than 23 years he was a charter member of the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance and its 1990-92 president, and was currently serving as secretary.
Tyler was a former president of the Niles Community Schools Board of Education, former chairman of Niles United Way and served both on Niles and Gateway Community Foundation boards.
He led a successful Niles-Buchanan Y.M.C.A. Capital Campaign.
Not only was he a former member of the Four Flags Area Chamber, he was also named their 2004 Man of the Year.
He served on both the Lakeland Regional Medical Center's board as well as the Lakeland Foundation-Niles. He was a member of the Niles-Buchanan Rotary Club, Signal Point Club, Orchard Hills Country Club and the Captiva Yacht Club.
He served on several financial boards, American National Bank, Old Kent Bank S. W. and First Federal Savings and Loan.
Involved in businesses across southwestern Michigan in addition to auto dealerships in Niles, Niles Charter Township and Benton Harbor Township (Lake Michigan Honda), Tyler also had interest in Vickers Engineering, Inc. in Weesaw Township, Precision Plastics in Galien Village and Kruger Plastics Products in Lake Charter Township. He was a board member of Littleford Day, Inc. of Florence, Ky.
In Fort Thomas, Ky., he married Marjorie "Midge" (Stegeman) Tyler, who died Oct. 11, 2002.
On March 9, 2005, he married Sharon (Witt) Tyler, who survives.
Also surviving are his children, Scott (Nancy) Tyler and Jane (Pat) Brandstatter, all of Niles, Chris (Shanna) Tyler of Stevensville and Matt (Amy) Tyler of Granger, Ind.
Step-children include Joe (Christin) Adams of Saint Joseph and Cody Witt of Niles. He had 13 important grandchildren and also is survived by his brother, Thomas Tyler of Venice, Fla.
A brother, Robert Tyler, Jr. preceded him in death.
Memorials may be made to Gateway Community Foundation Midge Tyler Fund.
Arrangements are being completed by Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles.