Nancy Tyler of Darien passed away in February surrounded by family. She was 65.
Nancy Tyler, 65, passed away in February. Her memorial service will be held in the spring.
Nancy will be remembered for her thoughtfulness, strength, and sharp memory, traits she inherited from her parents, Ann and George Anderson. She served as a selfless pillar for the Anderson and Tyler families, supporting her husband Tom in his decades-long engineering career and helping numerous family members as they aged and during family crises.
She initially honed her business acumen working for Union Trust after her studies at Ithaca and Fairleigh Dickinson, but later managed family real estate and served as informal family organizer, always demonstrating a knack for getting things done. All these qualities were apparent her whole life; she continued to stay stoic and sharp, while still primarily thinking of others, even as she fought breast cancer.
Nancy’s competitive spirit was especially memorable in the realm of sports. Growing up in Fairfield, she demonstrated strong athletic ability across swimming, tennis and field hockey. She swam for Black Rock Yacht Club, the Fairfield YMCA, and Roger Ludlowe High School, from which she also graduated.
Later in her life, while a fan of watching tennis, football, and college basketball, the familial love remained for the sport of swimming, still in Fairfield County but just a few towns over in her new home of Darien.
She enjoyed her new role as a cheerleader and volunteer for the Darien YMCA, Middlesex Club, and Newfield Club, and then as a captain’s mom for Darien High School and Dartmouth. But her happy place was not on a pool deck and instead by the open water. Her favorite trips, such as annual family vacations to Cape Cod, always featured a beach.
Her legacy lives on in her daughter Lindsay. She has been the linchpin to her success, providing love, guidance, and motivation every step of the way through her education, friendships, athletics, and career.
“Nance” was one-of-a-kind, with that generosity also reaching friends and teammates in the Darien community and beyond. She was an enthusiastic parent, and also a maternal figure to many.
Nancy is survived by her husband of 38 years, Thomas Tyler of Darien; her daughter, Lindsay Tyler of New York City; her brothers: Bradford Anderson, and his wife, Deborah, of East Sandwich, Massachusetts; and Roy Anderson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and other family members and friends.
A private burial will be held at Oak Lawn Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at First Church Congregational in Fairfield this spring; please reach out to a family member for details.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Swim Across America to honor Nancy and the family’s love for swimming and to raise money for cancer research – Nancy Tyler, Team Tyler, Fairfield County Open Water.
— an obituary from Lawrence Funeral Home, where online condolences may be left