Jack Alexander Tyson

Dr. Jack Alexander Tyson, 92, died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee on November 25, 2025 after a long illness. He received extraordinary care from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Veterans Administration Medical Center, institutions where he served career-long, as well as from Alive Hospice. His family extends their deepest gratitude. His wife Helen says of his passing, “we are not separated, Jack is solidly in my heart.”

Born on December 20, 1932, Jack was raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi and attended Holly Springs High School. He proudly served as a US Navy Corpsman in the Korean War. Returned a combat veteran, he attended the University of Mississippi and the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry to obtain his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), then entered private practice in Mississippi.

After four years, in 1965, Dr. Tyson joined the ranks of the Veterans Administration, serving in Big Spring, TX; Perry Point, MD; and Memphis, TN before settling in Nashville in 1970. In addition to leading as the Chief of Dental Service at the VA Medical Center, he taught on the faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. He retired in 1998. A recent encounter with a long time employee of the VA Dental Clinic highlights his impact as a mentor: “I wouldn't be where I am today except for Jack Tyson. He promoted me. He saw something in me that I didn't see in myself."

His nickname "Happy Jack from Happy Hill" describes his outlook from childhood through retirement. “Bubba” supported his grandchildren and their interests with enthusiasm and encouragement. He enjoyed his hobbies of golf, bridge, skiing and dancing. Jack and Helen have been regulars at John Jonethis' piano bar since 1992, and most recently at Ray Stevens CabaRay. They joined Unity of Nashville ten years ago. He embraced and embodied the Unity prayer, “All is well, life is good, we are truly blessed.”

Dr. Tyson is survived by his beloved wife and dancing partner of 66 years, Helen Doxey Tyson; daughters Sara Tyson Briggs and her husband Iain of Nashville; Helen Tyson Siewers and her husband Fred of Bowling Green, KY; adored grandchildren, Gwyneth “Wynne” Briggs Mixson and her husband Drew of Nashville; Tyson Alexander Warburton Briggs of Nashville; Anna Kathleen Siewers and her partner Monica Raatz of Chicago, IL; and Maria Christine Siewers and her partner Joshua Ferguson of Burlington, VT. Also surviving are his beloved sister-in-law Frances Doxey Winter and her husband Rusty Winter of Monroe, LA; his cherished nieces and nephews, plus their children and grandchildren.

Dr. Tyson was preceded in death by daughter: Mary Anne Tyson; parents: Edmund Taylor Tyson and Anne Martin Greene Tyson; siblings: Sara Tyson Harris, Edmund Taylor Tyson, Jr., and Dr. Robert E. Tyson, Sr.

Memorial gifts may be made to a non-profit of your choice, or the non-profits selected by the family:

Alive Hospice Nashville, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203; Kate Freeman Clark Art Gallery, P.O. Box 714, Holly Springs, Mississippi 38635;

Honor Flight of Middle Tennessee, P.O. Box 1926, Tullahoma, TN 37388- 1926.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of life at Richland Country Club, 1 Club Drive, Nashville, 37221, at 12:00 pm, Saturday, December 20, 2025, with a reception to follow. His cremated remains will be interred at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery, VA, and at Montreat Memorial Garden, NC.