From the moment I met him I knew you were someone I’d love and cherish in my heart forever the bond we had instantly was there. For months we got closer and closer and you were someone special to me, when ever I needed someone there you made your self available, not only did you bust your ass at work but you made time for the ppl you cared about the most. We would have lil random trips to the beach go eat run around in Clubs and we had so many memories, I’d never trade those times for anything. Even now I look at my voicemails and I have a few from you and I listen to them over and over from time to time when I feel down because you’re not here anymore and I can’t just call you and tell you how I miss you how much you meant to me and the last words have in there is of you telling me you care so much and love me and I miss you so much! It’s almost been a year that you’ve been gone and I need you the most I love you Tyler I hope you’re resting well. I know that the times we had mean something to you as well never in a million years would I of thought you’d be missing from all our lives so soon we made plans to do so much and everytime a song comes on or a meme that we would laugh about comes around i think of you! I can’t wait to some day reunite with you I really miss you I can’t stress that enough, things aren’t the same anymore 

It was my pleasure to have Tyler in my class at the San Diego Cooperative Charter School for his first grade year.  As my colleague Dmitry recounted in the memories that he shared, Tyler liked to take his time to enjoy  *just being* and taking things in, either alone or with friends.  He connected well to folks through his silliness and his goodnatured disposition.  I remember that his big eyes held a fierce intensity when he brooded, but overall, he was one of the most beautiful and zany kids I've worked with.  His zaniness made him a stand-out.

I don't know why I kept it after all these years, even after moving away from San Diego, but I still have a birthday card that Tyler made for me that year.  I would often find him making different things out of paper and fabric...or cool bits of plastic that he had held onto.  I remember that he went through a period of showing me the capes and clothing that he'd make for Beanie Babies. The cover of the birthday card embodied him well I think...lots of color, lots of frantic, comedic energy, and pure sweetness.  

I send peace and condolences to all who loved him and knew him.





(2 of 2): 

What I see most readily is Tyler out in the grass on 6th Avenue. We would go across the street to Balboa Park for P.E., since our charter school had no playground of its own in those early days. Both third grade classes did P.E. together, and in all that storm of activity, there was Tyler at the end of the field, picking flowers with his friends. Those beautiful kids. One of the hardest parts of being a teacher or a parent is trying to push kids for doing exactly what you would have wanted to do, for reflecting you back at yourself. What else would third grade me rather have done in P.E. class than stay out of the way of the ball and pick flowers? 

So I will leave him there, on that endless, clover-strewn lawn, wrapped in the confidence of being eight years old and mightily alive, held tight by his fiercely loyal friendship with those amazing girls—friends that a dedicated committee couldn’t have designed better given a century—dreamily acknowledging my request and assuring me that he will get up and run for the ball when he has a moment. Goodbye, Tyler. There’s no hurry. You still have all the time in the world.



(1 of 2):

When I remember Tyler, the first thing that emerges is his voice: slightly sandy, but also unusually relaxed for an eight-year-old, as if he had all the time in the world. And he really enjoyed taking that time. In the third grade class where I was his teacher, we would start the day in a circle, and everyone had a minute to say what was on their mind. This was the year that all the kids were obsessed with stuffed animals and brought them to school every day. They were oh-so-cool and sophisticated, but the bravery of a few meant that school was still safe for this kind of dreamy activity. Tyler was near the epicenter of that activity, but he would relish that minute even when he had nothing new to share. Once he stood up (this was entirely optional) and spent his entire time just stretching out the single word “bacon” to crack up his friends. He was one of those naturally funny people for whom humor is an integral part of perceiving and navigating the world, and this made the day easier for everyone.

He would greet me in a very relaxed way, too, exhaling a “Hey Dmootry” as I walked by. He loved to use this nickname for me—Dmooootry—and while I preferred to see it as a badge of coolness, I believe it was also a dare. I *dare* you to be uncool. After all, underneath that relaxed demeanor was a forcefulness that came out in swift, loud bursts. There was a strong sense of how things ought to be, and occasional rage when they didn’t work out that way. When the stuffed animals started to take over all aspects of class life, I had to ban them for a while, and these kids were seething. Those great expressive eyebrows of his were capable of summoning a palpable dark cloud over his head when he was frustrated. But the frustrated Tyler is not the one who first comes to mind.


Tyler and I have so many memories together from elementary school through high school but there is one memory that will always stick with me, and it happens to be our earliest one. I moved from the east coast to san diego and transferred into SDCCS (our elementary /middle school) in the middle of 2nd grade. I remember feeling weird and sad because I did not know anyone, and everyone already had their friends. Tyler was the first to approach me, and he offered to be my walking buddy when we went to recess. I remember being so happy that I had a friend. We were close all through elementary school, middle school and high school, and he played a huge role in my life. Tyler was the type of person that I would laugh with until my guts hurt. He was the one who introduced me to Charlie, who I am still very close with to this day. I’ll always be so grateful for Tyler, and I miss him so much.

My daughter, Adrianne (aka Addie) went to the same High School as Tyler, that’s how they met. They would hang out together off and on and became good friends. One year for Adrianne’s birthday I took her, Tyler and another friend to Magic Mountain, what a goofy guy! They had a good time, I will always remember the laughing. Years later, I had taken the train up north and when I got back I was waiting for my luggage and here comes Tyler out of the train station. Without hesitation, he came up to me and gave me a big hug, I will never forget that hug. He was truly a unique individual and he will be missed.

Melanie Pensa

We've shared so many awesome, beautiful and exicitng adventures together. It's truly a task to pick one.. one moment stands out though..it was his birthday July 28th 2018...we went down to the beach and started to feel a bit overwhelmed by the crowd so we  walked a bit and sat by some cliffs. It was super hot and we just sat there unwinding and enjoying the moment. Tyler had his shades on smiling and I sat a few inches from him. I dropped a cigarette and went to pick it up and as I lifted my head I noticed there was a rat right by us and then another not too far. I yelled RAT! And he flung his glasses off and we grabbed our stuff and ran so far..we ran past a couple doing a wedding photo shoot screaming. We ran all the way up the steps screaming. And then laughed all the way home. ..that moment was made immortal. Like the love we shared. He changed my life and gave me new hope. Forever and ever in my heart until we meet again. 💋 I love you Tyler.  Forever and always Tyler & Chantel. 

OBITUARY

Tyler Robert Maughan

July 28, 1996 – February 2, 2019

Erickson-Anderson Mortuary

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