John Tucker Byl

TRAVERSE CITY — J. Tucker Byl was born in Chicago on June 14, 1990, and lived there until his family moved to Traverse City in June 1994.

Tucker attended The Pathfinder School through the sixth grade, developing great friendships while thriving on the Pathfinder educational experience. During this time, he played in the YMCA Pop Warner Football program, where he was the quarterback for the Raymond James 'Hammers' team.

While attending East Junior High and TC Central, Tucker was a member of the Trojan JV tennis team, was the goaltender for the JV soccer team as a freshman and a sophomore, all the while pursing his true passion of downhill ski racing. Tucker earned All Conference and All Region positions on the 2007 ski team and had raced with the team since his freshman year. His great classmates, Luke, Ryan, Sam and Spencer, along with race buddies, Dante, Matt and Raffi, were Tucker's continued inspiration to enjoy life to the fullest.

In addition, he coached young children at Mt. Holiday for three seasons; a position he cherished as he greatly enjoyed teaching kids how to ski. Tucker's creative side focused on playing guitar and writing music, as well as his extraordinary talent of sketching and drawing. He recently began focusing his energies on photography, capturing many great outdoor images of both Michigan and Colorado. Tucker was also an avid upland bird hunter, spending many memorable times with his father and friends walking the fields of Thundering Aspens.

Tucker was involved as a volunteer with the GT Ski Club, Women's Resource Center, Ice Man Race, Trinity Church Community Meal Program, participated for three years in the Youth With A Mission Homes of Hope building project in Mexico, building single family homes for needy families, and helped distribute clothes and food to the Masi Tribes of Africa during a family trip in 2001.

Tucker was preceded in death by his grandparents, Harry and Nancy Calcutt, and Midge Byl; and is survived by his parents, Bruce and Mary Calcutt Byl; his brother, Jeffrey; beloved golden retrievers Maverick and Misty; grandparents, Gary (Betty) Byl of Fruitport; aunts and uncles, Michelle (Mike) Davis of Traverse City, Jeanne (Dave) Underwood of Reno, Nev., Nancy (Fred) Darga of Spring Lake, Michael Byl of Ridgefield, Conn., Scrub (Betsy) Calcutt, Harvey (Kathy) Calcutt and William Calcutt, all of Traverse City; as well as many fun loving and caring cousins, Will, Andrew, Carrie, Wynne, Abby, Elizabeth, Newton, Carney, Caleb, Lydia, Theresa, Molly, Patrick, Cody, Dylan, Logan, Kendall, Claire, Eric and Scott; and many other family members.

Tucker was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City, having been baptized on Sept. 2, 1990, and confirmed in September 2005.

Visitation for Tucker will take place from 2 until 6 p.m. Sunday, June 3, at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City. A service celebrating Tucker's life will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, June 4, at The Presbyterian Church, 701 Westminster, Traverse City, with the Rev. Dr. Homer Nye officiating. Private family graveside services will take place in Oakwood Cemetery later.

Contributions in memory of Tucker can be directed to the TC Trojan Booster Ski Team, c/o Liz Warren, Athletic Office, TC Central High School, 1150 Milliken Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686 or the Tucker Byl Teaching Scholarship, c/o Holiday Race Team, PO Box 93, Acme, MI 49610.

The family is being served by the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home; www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.

This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.