Tyson Buckley Obituary (1980 - 2023)

Tyson Murdoch Buckley passed away peacefully on 21 SEPT 2023. Born 5 MAR 1980 to Gaylen and Shelley Buckley, he is survived by the “Be Buckley Bright” bunch, Mykin and Alan, Kirsten and Bruce, Trevor and Chari, TJ and Kimmy, and Camberly Buckley; his ultimate fan club, Bry-guy, Sassi, Kirgy, Brenny, La-La, ECB, Braxto, Jasper, Tae-Tae, Ki-Ki, and Alayna; and finally, his on-deck fan club, Cedar, Baylor, and Lennox. Tyson wrote the book on how to be unique. Forever an entertainer, he was a prodigious storyteller; a flurry of words behind a paroxysm of flying arms and waving hands. His laugh was like a wildfire, setting ablaze dry personalities everywhere. If you were around, its warmth would penetrate the marrow of your bones. He was a consummate eater; a tour de force of words and laughs emanating from behind a wall of appetizer and sauce plates. Celebratory meals and Sunday dinners will never be the same. His mission on earth was less about traditional experiences or secular achievements, but rather turning the traditional into the memorable. A trip to Cancun without Tyson is relegated to photos on a shelf, a trip to Cancun with Tyson turns into stories you tell your grandchildren. Words can’t paint Tyson’s personality or his impact on others, not even if every letter were in different colored ink and font. He was an iconoclast of sorts; just when you felt you had him figured out he would figuratively back-hand you while loudly exclaiming “oh no you di-in’t” as if he was born and bred in the deep south. In this, he unwittingly became a profound teacher to all that knew him, challenging stereotypes, assumptions, and categories that provide the foundation of social life. He took all our “should’s” and “shouldn’ts”, twisted and contorted them like an expert balloon artist, and handed them back with a smile on his face, showing us just how silly and malleable such conventions are. Deep under his unique exterior lay a core of humility and assaulting gratitude. One could not return a “you’re welcome” before being blasted with five more “thank you’s” in the process. Tyson had an enormous heart and a kind spirit. He was a listener, eager to bend an ear that never vetted judgment and a caregiver, able to keep up with the grandbabies but also slow and adjust pace as he cared for his aging grandparents. Later in life he developed a deep love for animals and nature, and some of our favorite memories are of him with our dogs, or on a hike, or trekking through a river. In typical Tyson fashion, there are no traditional, immediate services planned. A “Celebration of Life” will be held at a time yet to be determined; probably, in true Tyson form, after much procrastination and at the worst time possible that fits no one's schedule. Goodbye for now Tyson. We have loved every color your life offered us. See you at the great family reunion to come.