Dorothy L. Tyler

Dorothy Tyler was an energetic woman who lived a life full of many accomplishments of which she was very proud, but the accomplishment she was most proud of, however, was her family. Dorothy was a passionate teacher who touched the lives of so many young people, including her own children and grandchildren, for whom she left a legacy of love and faith, which will be forever etched on the hearts of her family. The year was 1928, which would be a monumental year in the future of air travel, as Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, took off from Boston in her airplane. Walter and Hattie (Thomasson) Creason, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, were looking forward to a monumental event of their own, as they were preparing for the birth of what would be their last of seven children. They were blessed on February 2, 1928 with the birth of a daughter, Dorothy. Their large family later settled in Fennville, Michigan, where Dorothy attended Fennville High school. Here, she was a member of the debate team, sang in the school choir, and became part of the graduating class of 1945. Dorothy always loved reading, even reading under her covers by flashlight, so it was no surprise that she furthered her education as an English major, from Western Michigan University in 1950. While in college, Dorothy was active in theatre, as well as a member of the traveling debate team. It was this involvement in the theatre, which would set the stage for a love story that would eventually span almost 60 years. An intriguing young man named Hugh Tyler, who did Dorothys make up before her performances, gave her a fateful good luck kiss before her performance one evening, which marked the beginning of their love story. Despite a difficult first date, as Hugh got an extreme case of poison ivy, the two were smitten with each other, and Dorothy eventually proposed to her beloved Hugh while perched on a porch swing. Unfortunately, this very happy time in their lives was marked with tragedy also, as Dorothys parents were killed by a drink driver just prior to their wedding. Dorothy and Hugh were united in marriage on November 23, 1950. The newlyweds were soon blessed with the births six children, which spanned over a period of ten years. They raised their children in a home located on Lakeview St. in Sturgis, Michigan. Dorothy had eventually earned her masters degree in teaching, but traded in her chalk for an apron for 13 years, during which time she was a homemaker and mother. As a mother of four boys, Dorothy made many trips to the emergency room to tend to various injuries that were sustained! Their large family was a tight group and loved doing various things together which Dorothy usually organized for them, special events, games, sporting events, and boating were some. They took many memorable trips together, sometimes to different states and sometimes to various beautiful places located within their home state of Michigan; Uncle Walts hotel on Houghton Lake and visits to Uncle Bob and Aunt Marys fruit farm, were among the favorites. The Tyler family moved to the family homestead, located in North Muskegon, in 1973 where Dorothy became a teacher for the North Muskegon Public School System for what would be 15 years, until she retired, in 1988. Dorothy was a devoted teacher who not only taught her students, but embraced them as well. She entertained them as a witch on Halloween in her home and kept in contact with many of her students long after high school. She was even an English teacher to three of her own children, two of which earned As from her, and the third earned his A from a substitute teacher! As much as Dorothy loved her role as a teacher, it did not compare to her love for her role as a mother. She was dedicated yet silly, and was known as the family boss. She was diligent and organized, but she balanced that in perfect harmony with compassion and love. After her children were gone in 1984, Dorothy and Hugh traveled extensively with friends; Germany, England, Greece, Australia, France, and Turkey, Dorothy had an insatiable thirst for taking in the beauty of many different lands. She loved debating ideas, and was well versed in politics, even changing Hugh into a democrat! Dorothy enjoyed reading, writing short stories and poetry, and playing golf. When she retired in 1988, she thoroughly relished spending additional time pursuing her many interests. She was a member of the First Congregational Church, the P.E.O. Society, and both the Michigan and National Education Associations. The year 1988 would prove to be a year in which another chapter in her life would begin, as Dorothy became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Laura Ann. Both Dorothy and Hugh embraced their roles as grandparents; they continued to be ecstatic with the births of additional grandchildren in each year that followed. Dorothy hosted her grandchildren for extended visits and play dates, but her grandchildren knew that they were each uniquely cherished when Dorothy wrote a poem about each grandchild, and complied them into a book entitled On the Green. Life became more difficult for Dorothy when in 1995, she suffered a mild stroke. This brought the need to downsize to the forefront, and they sold their family homestead to their daughter Mary, allowing Dorothy and Hugh to relocate, in 1997. Dorothy later began to slip into the grip of Alzheimers and was admitted to Northcrest Living Center in 2005, where she could get the special care that she needed. Dorothy Tyler lived her life with others in mind, often setting her own needs aside to focus on the needs of others. She had a tremendous zest for life, and was often seen as the life of the party. She was a beloved sister, wife, mother, and grandmother who will be deeply missed by those she leaves behind. Dorothy L. Tyler, of North Muskegon, died Monday, December 1, 2008. Dorothys family includes her husband of 58 years, Hugh; 4 sons, Stephen (Kathy) Tyler of Kalamazoo, Matthew Tyler of Lathrop Village, MI, Daniel (Lisa) Tyler of IL, Woodrow (Maureen) Tyler of East Lansing; 2 daughters, Laura Tyler of WA, Mary (Mark Zettell) Tyler of N. Muskegon; 9 grandchildren: Laura Ann, Steve, Sam, Nick, Erin, Joe, Dan, Michael, Claire; 3 brothers, Walter Creason of CO, Woodrow Creason of IN, William (Mary) Creason of Grand Haven; sister, Lois Shields of Fennville, MI; several nieces & nephews. Visit with Dorothys family and friends on Thursday, 4-7 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Homes - Muskegon location - Muskegon, MI. Services will be held on Friday, December 5, 2008, 1:00 p.m. at the Clock Chapel with Rev. Don Mathews officiating. Please visit Dorothys memory page where you can leave a favorite memory or make a memorial contribution to the Alzheimer's Association.