By Staff
How does a community recover from the loss of someone like Tim Tyler? Many are asking that question today.
Many are also asking how do we properly acknowledge his many contributions and good works and honor his memory?
That's a question we as a community will no doubt grapple with in the coming months.
Tim, the founder of Tyler Automotive and a number of other business ventures, philanthropist and tireless community volunteer, died unexpectedly earlier this week. His family and friends were looking forward to his coming home from the hospital, where he was recuperating from injuries suffered during a fall. News of his death shocked and saddened many.
It's made us all reflect on what people like Tim Tyler mean to the heart and soul of a community.
Bret Hendrie, director of the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, worked closely with Tim during the fundraising campaign for the new YMCA.
Hendrie recalled a story about the importance of Tim's leadership during a dark period during that effort. In a meeting of the capital campaign committee, when it looked like all avenues had been exhausted and a new Y building was simply not to be, Hendrie said Tim banged his fist on a table and declared that the group would not be defeated, and he led the way to making it happen.
It has been interesting to read the offerings on our website, which began posting soon after word spread of Tim's death.
Those postings range from simple messages like, "God bless Tim Tyler," to those like the touching tribute posted by Kate Lemanski, who wrote, "I was saddened by the news of Tim Tyler's passing. I know from personal experience the impact the Tyler family has had on Niles. I know that all of my friends at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA are missing Tim and hoping that he will keep his eye on us now just like he did when he was here. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time."
Another post, "Niles has lost one of the greatest citizens in its history. Tim Tyler was one of the truly good people. He will be incredibly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Sharon, Scott, Chris, and the entire Tyler family."
There is also this post, "Now, if you want to rename the Main St bridge, name it after Tim Tyler. If anyone deserves it, he does."
And this one from Howard Mathews of Locust Grove, Va., "I was deeply, deeply, saddened by the death of Tim Tyler, a fellow classmate of mine from the graduating Niles High School class of 1955 and a teammate on the basketball team. Although it has been many years since I have had the pleasure of Tim's presence in my life, I have never forgotten the superb quality and content of Tim's character which manifested itself in the manner that he conducted himself as a young man and throughout his entire life. My everlasting condolences to Tim's wife and children on this most solemn occasion and God be with you."
One of Tim's friends told me, "Tim was one of the good guys." He was indeed. Tim and others of his generation truly knew how to lead and give and volunteer. So many of his contemporaries provide for us superb examples of what it means to love this community and work to make it a better place.
Tim obviously instilled in his children the importance of community leadership because already we have many examples of each in their own right doing exactly that.
What lesson would Tim Tyler want the rest of us to take from his life? Perhaps he would want us to understand that our community needs us to be involved in whatever way we can contribute. Maybe he'd want us to bang our fists on the table and declare that we will not be defeated, and to understand that doing so benefits not only the quality of life of others, but our own, as well.
Godspeed, Tim Tyler. Your community today has a very heavy heart. You will not be forgotten.