Lt. Colonel William Welch Tyre Jr.

Bill was a proud alumnus of Seminole High School, where he distinguished himself as a four-sport athlete. His passion for football led him to Florida State University, where he pursued a degree in Education. However, after just one day of substitute teaching, Bill quickly realized that a career in education was not his calling.

In 1963, he embarked on a remarkable military career in the Air Force. He became an accomplished Air Force Pilot, flying F4 fighter planes, and proudly served his country as a veteran of the Vietnam War. In 1970, Bill transitioned from full-time service to the reserves, where he rose to Command of the 711th Special Operations Squadron, AC-130A gunship.

Upon concluding his full-time military service, Bill returned to his roots in Sanford, FL, where he worked at Tyre Farms along side his father. Following his father's passing, Bill resumed his passion for flying, this time with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the Flight Standards Division. He and his beloved wife, Nancy, later relocated to Georgia, where they discovered a charming old home in the small town of Senoia, a place where Bill finally retired. After a challenging but ultimately successful battle with cancer, Bill and Nancy decided to return to Sanford in March of 2025.

In his retirement, Bill cultivated a love for gardening, stained glass art and cherished attending "Romeo" lunches with his wonderful buddies in Georgia. He and Nancy frequently attended progressive dinners or hosted happy hours with their neighbors in their close-knit community. Bill loved to share entertaining tales of fishing expeditions, often recounting stories of "the one that got away." Dunkin Donuts became his favorite coffee spot and daily outing, so much so that he even downloaded their app. If you stopped by the house, you would often find him engrossed in old cowboy movies. He was undeniably cherished and respected by all who knew him and will be greatly missed.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Frieda Tyre. He is survived by his devoted wife, Nancy Tyre; his children, Britney Tyre Reynolds (Michael, Sr.) and Chandler Tyre (Renee); his stepchildren, Tom Farrow (Sandy) and Toni Crimmins (Larry); his grandchildren, Michael Reynolds Jr., Maxx Tyre, Molly Tyre, Gordon White, Natalie White, Taylor Crimmins, and Isabella Obenauer (Dakota); his great-grandchild, Samuel; and his sister, Shirley Maddox.

The family will receive guests for visitation from 5-7 pm on Friday, October 24, 2025 at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel, located at 5000 County Road 46A, Sanford, Florida, 32771.

Mr. Tyre will be laid to rest at 1 pm on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at Oaklawn Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to any of the following:

America's Vet Dogs, vetdogs.org

K9s for Warriors, k9sforwarriors.org

American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org/