Obituary Overview
Tyler, Kenneth James
TYLER, KENNETH JAMES
October 13, 1949 – September 28, 2018
It is with great sadness, we announce Ken’s peaceful passing into the presence of his Lord and Saviour at Surrey Memorial Hospital at the age of 68 years. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and uncle and great friend to many. He will be dearly missed by his wife, Barbara Tyler (Britton), son Michael Tyler (Lisa), granddaughter Jenna Prins, parents Jim and Doris Tyler, brother Timothy Tyler (Maria), sister Carolyn Topping (Rob), and many nieces and nephews.
Ken was born on October 13, 1949 in Empress, Alberta and although he lived briefly in Sylvan Lake, Alberta he spent most of his childhood in the Northwest Territories (Hay River, Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson and Yellowknife). As a good student he excelled in learning and completed his High School education in Yellowknife, N.W.T at the young age of 15 where he was awarded a four year scholarship to study at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Upon completion of his studies there, he graduated with a Master’s degree in History in 1979. While in University, he fostered many relationships with individuals who remained life-long friends to him and his wife Barbara.
He met his lovely wife Barbara while in hospital in his early twenties and they were married in Edmonton in December of 1973. They moved to Ottawa, Ontario where Ken worked briefly with the Specific Claims Branch of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (as it was then called). Tyler & Wright Research Consultants Ltd. was then formed with his good friend and colleague Roland Wright in 1976 and their company flourished adding Rick Daniel as partner in 1977. This also proved to be an exciting year for Ken and Barbara as they welcomed their son Michael into their household in the last remaining hours of December. Moving on to Winnipeg Manitoba shortly thereafter, Ken took up studying for his law degree graduating in 1984 with his LL.B. from the University of Manitoba, and began a consulting service with Aboriginal Affairs. As a practicing lawyer, he worked for and consulted with provincial governments in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and finally joined the law firm of Ladner Downs (now known as Borden Ladner Gervais) in Vancouver, British Columbia where he became a Partner and resided for the following 20+ years.
His many accomplishments included being called to the bar in Saskatchewan in 1986, in Manitoba in 1993 and in British Columbia in 1998. Ken taught constitutional law at the University of Manitoba from 1994 to 1998 and was constitutional law advisor to Premier Romanow of Saskatchewan during the Meech Lake negotiations and constitutional law advisor to Premier Clyde Wells of Newfoundland and Labrador during the Charlottetown Accord negotiations.
Throughout his life, Ken was very generous in donating his time and skills to others and supported many different charities. He had an inquisitive mind, was a voracious reader and seemed to have a photographic memory for facts and information. Ken made friends easily with many people of varying nationalities, and took it upon himself to attempt greetings and phrases in their native languages pursuing the learning of Mandarin as well as Vietnamese. Together with his wife Barbara, Ken welcomed newly immigrated Canadians into their home for holiday celebrations, home cooked meals and board and card games. He blessed so many with his wit and charm and thrilled his young son, nieces and nephews and later his beloved granddaughter with his animated voices, teasing tones and love of learning.
Their love of travel took Ken and Barbara on many adventures, to the United Kingdom, France and most of the United States and Canadian provinces. His extended family and friends were blessed to be included in his discovery of new places. Ken was thrilled to realize his dream of travelling to China with his friend Ning, in August 2012 and later expressed his desire to visit the home cities of all his Chinese friends (now citizens in North America).
Friends, colleagues, acquaintances are all invited to a celebration of Ken’s life at Christian Life Assembly, Langley B.C. The service will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 20th 2018 with a lunch to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to www.booksformevancouver.org or to a charity of your choosing.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Kenneth Tyler 2018..
Décès pour la Ville: Surrey, Province: Colombie britanique
