In Loving Memory

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Richard Tyler, better known as Rick by his wife and the many others who knew and loved him, but perhaps best known as Papa by his grandchildren and great grandchildren, graduated from this LIFE Summa Cum Laude on November 26, 2023, at home while surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Ann, his sons Richard “Dirk” M. Tyler III (Nancy), William (Catherine), Michael, and Mark (Jennifer), his grandchildren Brittany (Daniel), Tucker (Emma), Liliana, Quentin, and Declan, and his great-grandchildren Everett, Estelle, and Poppy, along with his sisters, Nancy Tyler Allen and Lee Tyler Robbins, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins, who will all celebrate his life.

Rick was the personification of integrity, honesty, strength, kindness, and compassion, characteristics that made him the wonderful husband and dedicated father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and exceptional example of a gentleman that he was.

Rick was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 16, 1931, where he established a deep love for New England. He attended the Governor Dummer Academy in South Byfield, Massachusetts, and Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He was an incredible athlete playing both hockey and lacrosse throughout his school years. It was there that he expressed his incredible athleticism.

Following university, Rick was drafted by the military, and it was his position on the U.S. Army hockey team that brought Rick from the East Coast to Colorado Springs, where he not only became closer to the mountains in every sense of the word, but also met and married Ann Hakes, the love of his life. Rick and Ann went on to have four sons, raising their family first in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah, Wayne, Pennsylvania and Ogunquit, Maine, (where they had a summer home).

After working on the East Coast for five and a half years, Rick realized his work required too much time away from his family. Rick, Ann, and their four boys made a life-altering decision and moved their family back to Salt Lake City, where they could prioritize their family.

As a dedicated dad, Rick coached his four sons’ in baseball, football, lacrosse, and tennis. Skiing every weekend was the family tradition. For Rick, the Wasatch mountains were a big part of the draw of Utah, and he took full advantage by not only pursuing, but passing along to his sons, his lifelong passions for skiing and hiking. He was also an avid tennis player until the final weeks of his life, with some of his most meaningful friendships being formed over the many years spent playing at the Sports Mall in Salt Lake City and the York Golf and Tennis Club in York, Maine.

In their 67 years as a married couple, Rick and Ann operated as a team, not only in raising their family (and several generations of dogs), but also in their personal pursuits. In addition to the mountain adventures they experienced together in their own backyard, they were lucky enough to ski and hike all over the world, including memorable trips to Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Thailand, western Europe, Russia, Finland, and Estonia. They spent their summers post-retirement at their cottage near the ocean in Ogunquit, Maine, a place Rick fell in love with as a child, and then shared with the next three generations.

Rick was the steadfast rock of the Tyler family. He never lost his unwavering love for his family or his sense of humor. He will be deeply missed. Still, it is with comfort that we believe that he is at peace. It is only goodbye for now until we join him on a different shore.

A celebration of life will be held on December 16th at 11:00 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, a reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (jdrf.org), or a charity of your choosing.