Frederick C. "Tim" Tyler

TYLER, Frederick C. ''Tim''
October 8, 1918 - May 14, 2007


Frederick C. "Tim" Tyler, 88, beloved husband, father, brother and friend, died May 14, 2007 at his home in Pacific Grove. He was born in Gary, Indiana and lived with his parents, Theda and Frederick N. Tyler, older brother, Charles, and younger sister, Jeanne, until he left for Wabash College. While at Wabash College his classmates nicknamed him Tim after the cartoon comic strip known as "Tim Tyler's Luck." He later graduated from the University of Michigan in 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English literature. Less than a year later he joined the Navy, serving as Landing Craft Commander on the U.S.S. Harris in North Africa (Wallis and Safi), the Aleutians (Attu and Kiska), and numerous islands in the Pacific. He was awarded four battle stars and several commendations, including one from Admiral Ingersoll for courageous conduct as boat wave commander during the assault on Safi, and one from Admiral Nimitz for courage under fire during the landing at Saipan Island. After the war, while studying for an engineering degree at Stanford, he met the great love of his life, Helen ("Bonnie"), with whom he danced the jitterbug on the top of Mt. Tamalpais on their first date. Bonnie had also served in the Navy in the Pacific during the war as a Navy nurse. Tim and Bonnie were married in 1947 and began a family in San Francisco. They moved to Sacramento in 1954 where he became Branch Manager and later Fleet Salesman at International Harvester, from which he retired in 1980. Tim was a devoted and loving husband and father of five daughters, who adored and cherished his sweet, loving, generous, kind, sensitive spirit throughout their lives. After retirement, Tim and Bonnie moved to Pacific Grove and began a new life together in a place they called "paradise on earth." They enjoyed gardening, crafts, and traveling on Elder Hostel trips together. Bonnie and Tim delighted in their travels together to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and Nova Scotia before Bonnie's unexpected and untimely death in 1996. Tim was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church, Elks Club, and Kiwanis in Sacramento, and became a member of the Mayflower Church in Pacific Grove upon arrival of his sister Jeanne, who had come to live with him in 2003. After his beloved wife's death, he enjoyed reading, watching sports and talking with each of his daughters every night on the telephone. Tim is survived by his daughters, Lucinda (and husband Steve), Andrea (Bill), Tobi (Howard), and Teresa (Michael); his grandson, Nicholas; his sister, Jeanne; his cousin, Enid, and numerous other relatives. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Bonnie in 1996 and his first born daughter, Sandra Jeanne in 1999. A Memorial Service to celebrate his life will be held at The Little Chapel by the Sea, Lighthouse at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA on June 16, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. Donations may be made to the charity of your choice or the Mayflower Presbyterian Church of Pacific Grove. Visit www.thepaulmortuary.com to sign the guestbook.