Tyler Phoenix Moon Bryan passed away unexpectedly, yet peacefully, at home, in Marietta GA, on November 23, 2020. He was 16. On that day, the world lost one of the coolest people it had ever known.
Born on the 24th of December 2003 to parents Glenn and Julie Bryan. The eldest of his siblings. He was the first child, the first grandchild, the first Nephew, the pioneer, if you will, of the children in his family. He was an only child until the age of 10, not long before which he expressed a longing for siblings. His wishes for siblings quickly came to fruition, going from an only child for so long to the eldest of three almost immediately. This dream of his first manifested in his beloved baby sister Phoebe, whom he loved with such a pure and undying love it left their parents in awe. The day she was born he told his mother, with a look of total adoration in his eyes, “I just can’t believe how much I love this tiny baby, she’s perfect.” Which, still to this day is one of his parents fondest sibling memories. Near the same time, he and his childhood best friend, Elena, from the moment they met, were completely inseparable. Elena would become his adoptive sister shortly after Phoebe was born. Now Tyler was the oldest of three, a fact that he would not hesitate to jokingly remind them when necessary. Especially Elena, who is only less than three weeks his junior. Still technically as Tyler would say, “I’m older”.
That same sense of humor, he carried with him throughout his life. Perhaps the best sense of humor imaginable. He always had a witty and clever comment, no matter the situation. He definitely knew how to make people laugh regardless of the circumstances. He never failed to remember inside jokes with loved ones. Always far wiser than his years, he was one of the easiest people to talk to. He was always willing to lend an ear. Always having insightful advice or helpful suggestions to help one see the situation from another perspective, or open ones eyes to the subtle humor they could have missed.
Tyler began elementary school at West Side Elementary, where his teachers instantly recognized his impressive intelligence. He was immediately placed in the gifted program. By second grade, his presence was being requested at Marietta Center for Advanced Academics; a school for gifted children. By high school, Tyler was in an accelerated program to graduate early.
Tyler had, from birth, such an inherent brilliance, it often left others in a state of amazement. At a very early age it was clear to see, Tyler had an exceptional mind. His family recalls a time, long before he could even talk, that he overheard his mother asking for the phone, he then took it upon himself to get “the phone”. Moments later, he came wobbling back to her, hardly walking, not yet able to talk, his small toy yellow phone in hand. He held it up to her, with this unbelievably adorable look of pride on his face, as if to say “Here Mommy, I did it! I brought you the phone!” There are no shortages of stories like this. Tyler proved to be a savant at anything he wished to learn about, or anything that piqued his interest. He had an affinity for languages. He could recite the alphabet by the age of one, and could recite it backwards by three. By the age of eight, he impressively, and independently learned ASL (American Sign Language). He was fluent almost immediately, purely out of personal fascination. He would go on to learn a fair amount of German, Japanese, Spanish; any language that sparked his interest. He enjoyed reading and learning any new science or knowledge that engaged his curiosity. He was a very skilled writer, having taken after is maternal Grandfather, Robert Freking, as well as his paternal Great Grandmother, Mary Cantrell, both of whom he was very close to. Additionally, both grandparents excelled in occupations which were founded on writing during their lives. He loved them both dearly, and, as they both preceded him in death, he is now with them again.
While Tyler had such a short window of time here on this Earth, he left an incredible impact to all who knew him. Tyler came into this world as a force of nature, and he remained so throughout his life.
His talent went far beyond the academic. His charismatic nature allowed him to make friends wherever he went. People were naturally drawn to him and his kind soul, and often entranced by the fact that someone so young could foster such wisdom. He has more friends than one can count, friends that span continents. Tyler always knew what he wanted; one of his passions was fairness and equality for everyone. Tyler was no stranger to tribulation. From adolescence, he was diagnosed on the spectrum, high functioning autistic, and bi-polar disorder. He himself struggled, yet persevered with great fortitude. He would always stand up for what he thought was right. That courage came in many forms. He was an LGBTQ advocate; helping countless numbers of friends and acquaintances navigate their journeys and find strength in spite of adversity. Tyler was very openly against bullying and peer pressure. A recent experience that he was eager to participate in this past year, was the peaceful protest march through our city, ending at the Marietta Square. This was an important way for Tyler to stand up for what he believed in. Tyler was definitely a lover, not a hater, but was not afraid to fight for a good cause. He always stood up with anyone facing formidable obstacles.
He was an exceptionally hard worker. Upon officially entering the work force, he was a coveted employee. In fact, he excelled so much that at his recent place of employment an opening for assistant manager became available, and they attempted to get corporate approval to promote him into the position. Regardless of the fact, that he was sixteen at the time and the position was intended for employees ages eighteen and up.
That same sense of being beyond his years seemed to be a constant in his life. He had a love of music that spanned decades. His mother often boasts that he has her impeccable sense of musical taste. He could impressively, when prompted, recite lyrics from bands such as The Beatles and Sublime by his toddler years. Needless to say, he was utterly fawned over whenever he did so. He was known for his artistic nature. This boy was so creative, crafty, ingenious, resourceful and imaginative, that he could make something beautiful out of almost anything. He was skilled with many mediums; from drawing and painting, to sculpting and ceramics, to digital art and graphic design. He was skilled in cosmetology, a very talented make up artist. He could transform a person into anything they were trying to personify, whether it was traditional makeup or special effects style transformations. Tyler could do anything and everything related to art. He had planned to be a tattoo artist as an adult. He was known to explore many forms of jewelry making and macrame, often making bracelets for friends and loved ones. He dabbled in stop motion animation and flip book art. As a child was even interested in filmmaking and Photography. He would sometimes write plays or scripts and cast friends as characters in said movies. It was truly adorable to hear him yell, “Action!” or “Take two!” as a child. It is hard to understand how so much awesome can be in one person.
Tyler Bryan was loved beyond measure, by so many people. His family and friends are grateful for every memory they shared with him. His parents, while devastated, are so thankful for every single moment they had with him. They cherish the fact that the last six, almost 7 years, his little sister Phoebe had him with her, to learn and absorb everything Tyler had to teach her. Tyler taught her so much, more than can possibly be listed. One thing Phoebe often makes sure everyone knows is that her big brother Tyler taught her how to swim. His mother and father truly feel that, though his time was cut far too short, it has been privilege to be his parents.
Tyler is incredibly missed and survived by his parents, Glenn and Julie Bryan; siblings Phoebe Bryan and Elena Wyatt; his paternal Grandparents Leigh Cardin, Jack Cardin and Great Grandmother Evelyn Cardin; his maternal Grandmother Suzette Wilson; and Step-grandfather Rey Eugenio. He is also survived by many loving Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. Tyler comes from a rather large family, and it is near impossible to list everyone, however some that have been close to Tyler throughout his life include Amin Freking; Lyndsey and Tim Young; James Cardin; Jay Cantrell, Geo Crews (Auntie Gigi); Emily Jolliff (Mimi); Jason Forstner; Ted and Patty Freking; Leslie Wilson; Roberta Wilson; Marshall Hall; Rose Dupree; Joe and Karen Cardin; and Kerrilyn Bryan. The list of surviving cousins is never ending, however, the closest to Tyler include Brianna, Tim, and Adelyn Whiting; Colson, Bennett, and Arlo Young; Aidyn Newman; Donny and Max Landry; Rachael Wilson; and Spencer and Mitch Cardin. While there are far too many to name, too many to even count, Tyler will be extraordinarily missed by all his close friends. Tyler was an animal lover his whole life, and therefore will also be longingly remembered by his beloved dog Copper and cat Starscream. His dearest pets that preceded him, and are now with him again are his adored cat Digi and his cherished pet rats Frankie, Gus, and Cleo.
A Celebration of Tyler’s Life will be held at Kennesaw Memorial Park, located at 1306 Whitlock Ave. Marietta GA 30064, on Saturday, December 12th, at 12:15 pm. This will be an outdoor service, with potential to socially distance. The family encourages guests to wear masks; as Tyler actively scoffed at those who do not believe in masks during this ongoing pandemic, he would therefore be very upset if any one of his loved ones got sick at his own memorial. We invite all those who knew and love Tyler to feel free to attend and share memories and celebrate his life. As, most of you may know, Tyler would, anytime he could, wear anything tie-dye and/or “Chucks” Converse shoes. Please feel free to do the same, in honor of Tyler.
If you would like to send flowers, please send them to Kennesaw Memorial Park. If you would prefer to make a donation in Tyler’s name, we will be setting up a Go Fund Me page to collect a lump donation that will be donated to a (yet to be determined) favorite cause of Tyler’s.
