James Franklin Tyler

James Franklin Tyler, aged 49, of Keene, N.H., died at his home in early November 2006 after suffering a long and debilitating illness. He was born in South Ruislip, England on 23 July 1957, the son of Col. John T. Tyler USAF (ret.) of Marion and Anne Franklin Tyler of Linville Falls. James attended Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. and continued his education at Oberlin College in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion in 1979. He was awarded a Master of Divinity by the Berkeley Divinity School of Yale University in 1982. This was followed by study toward a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford University, where he received a Master of Arts in 1984. He began work toward a Masters of Business Administration at the University of Texas and completed his MBA at the University of New Hampshire in 1988. While working for the Smithsonian Foundation in Washington, D.C., he developed an abiding interest in African art. The James F. Tyler Collection was auctioned by Sotheby's in New York in mid-1995. James maintained his connections with key dealers in New York, London, Paris and Brussels, as he began to rebuild his collection. Later in the mid-1990s, James moved back to New Hampshire after living in Washington, D.C. and in New York City. Throughout his life, James remained an avid reader of philosophy, intellectual biography, art history and religious studies texts. As a boy, he developed the skills of an amateur herpetologist. He continued his love of snakes and reptiles until his death. Mr. Tyler is survived by his father and his stepmother, Joan Bennett Tyler, both of Keene, N.H.; his brother, John T. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Katharine and their children, Melissa and Samuel of Washington, D.C.; and by his brother, Joseph W. Tyler and his children, Jordan, Ellis and Mia of Litchfield, Conn. Locally, he is survived by his uncle, Bruce Tyler of Marion; by his cousin, Virginia Mae Terry of Nebo; and by his Franklin cousins in Linville Falls. His mother Anne Franklin Tyler died in 1968. A memorial service was held for James Tyler on 29 December 2006 at 11 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, West Street, Keene, N.H. The Rev. Peter Coffin officiated.