Wesley B Tyler, 90, formerly of Maine, NY passed into his Heavenly Father’s care on November 14, 2019. Wes was born on Jan 6, 1929 to John K. and Alice V. (Burnett) Tyler in Westford, NY. He attended Westford Union Elementary School and graduated from Draper High school in Schenevus, NY in 1946. Following high school graduation, he attended Broome Technical School in Binghamton, NY studying electronics. In 1950 he entered the US Air Force at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS, followed by communications technical training at Lowry AFB in Denver, CO. After one year he was released from active duty due to the death of his father, and returned home to manage the family farm business. Wes went to work for General Electric in Binghamton, NY, retiring after forty-five years in 1989. At GE he worked in the Product Development Laboratory analyzing pre-production models of parts used for flight control, weapon control, delivery systems, and fire suppression systems for Aerospace and Defense applications. He felt privileged to continuing serving the military by working on the systems for several USAF aircrafts including the F18, F15, A-10, F5, F-4, F-111, and others. He met his wife, Faye, in 1953 while she was in nursing training at Wilson Memorial Hospital. They were married on November 13, 1954. Wes was well known for his service as a volunteer fire fighter. He began fighting fires at the age of 16 in Westford and after marrying Faye and settling in to their home in Maine, NY. Wes joined the Maine Volunteer Fire Department where he served for over 50 years, 25 years as Assistant Chief. He was a longtime member of the Broome County Firefighters’ Association, Broome County Fire Advisory Board, the Ambulance Regional Council, and Maine Fire Department Emergency Squad. Alongside Faye, he was instrumental in forming the Maine Emergency Squad - the first ambulance service in the Town of Maine. Also alongside Faye, he contributed significantly to developing the early county-wide EMS communications systems resulting in more rapid and coordinated medical service response to emergencies in Broome County. After retiring for GE, Wes applied his communication skills to HEAR (Home Emergency Alarm Response) installing emergency alert systems in the homes of the elderly. Wes was a longtime member of the Maine Federated Church, attending up until the time he moved to Florida due to his illness. He served on various committees, volunteered his time and his electronics and communications skills to the church.
Wes was pre-deceased by his wife in 2001. He is survived by his three children, Kevin (and Nona) Tyler of Rock Hill, SC, David (and Willa) Tyler of Madison, GA, and Sandy (and Mark Steblin) of Tampa, FL; two grandchildren, Sarah and Tyler; two step-grandchildren, Greg and Jeff; cousin, Mary Harvard; and several adopted nieces and nephews. The family would like to acknowledge and express their sincere appreciation to the team of caregivers from Interim Health Care in Binghamton, NY, and several private duty caregivers who cared for Wes in his home in NY, as well as the staff of Arden Courts Alzheimer’s Dementia Care in Tampa, FL who provided compassionate and understanding care through Wes' Alzheimer's Dementia progression. The family would also like to express their sincere appreciation for those from the church, fire department, and community who visited and offered prayers and encouragement throughout his journey.
A memorial service will be held in Maine, NY at a future date. Memorial contributions in Wes’ honor may be made to Maine Fire Department, PO Box 357 Maine, NY, 13802.
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