James Paul Tyler

Born wild on February 5, 1953, James was a magnetic force of life and left a lasting impression on anyone he met anywhere he went. In his adventurous life he could not be tamed, from hitchhiking to the California coast in platforms at 16 to defying the odds of his cancer battle, he held many titles: “J.T.’s Auto Sales,” “Crawfish Eating Champion of The World,” most recently “The Pecan Man,” and his most honored—“Papaw.”

A man that could often be misunderstood in his rebellious ways, he never backed down from a task or tribulation and always came out the other side unscathed. He loved classic rock, fast cars, motorcycling without a helmet, overcooked steak, and whiskey with coke. After raising hell for more than six decades, he settled in to a slower life of gardening on the farm in the vast fields of pecans. A playful, kindhearted man beneath the surface, he always had the grandchildren on the tractor or his knee as he pretended to be a horse.

J.T. is survived by his mother Louise Burk Tyler, children Jessica Tyler Comegys, Tiffany Denee Tyler, Jacob Paul Tyler, and grandchildren Kingston Rylee Self, Rylie Katherine Paul, William McLoyd Comegys V, Brynn Estelle Tyler and one more on the way. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Paul Tyler, and one true love, wife Deborah Womack Tyler.

A Celebration of J.T. ‘s Life will be held at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. with a visitation starting at 11:00 am until the service. Following the service, the interment will be in Centuries Memorial Park. Pastor Kevin Arinder will officiate. In honor of J.T. please dress casually to the services.

A special thank you to the staff and doctors at Christus Highland Hospital and Cancer Center for their selflessness and caring services that made us feel like family and will always be in our hearts, to Dr. Jaya McShrama who proved that good people do still exist and who has become a life long friend, and to the outstanding nurses of St. Josephs Hospice for allowing him to remain comfortable at home.

In lieu of flowers, James ask that donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, St. Judes, or an alternative cancer treatment research foundation of your choice, and to please call your local politician and ask that they legalize recreational marijuana.

You always won every time you placed a bet. You're still damn good. No one’s gotten to you yet. Every time they were sure they had you caught, you were quicker than they thought. You'd just turn your back and walk. And you’re still the same, no one standing in your way, turning on the charm. You still aim high. - Bob Seger.