Frank Lester Tyler
May 29, 1944-April 28, 1992
Born in Iowa, Frank Tyler took up figure skating at the Broadmoor Skating Club while attending Colorado State University in the sixties. He passed his USFSA Silver Test in figures, toured with the Ice Follies and taught skating in Alaska. He passed away in Anchorage on April 28, 1992 at the age of forty-seven.
Frank's obituary from the "Bay Area Reporter": "Many of those who came to the church in Anchorage to honor Frank Tyler had to wait outside. Inside, the pews were jammed with people from all walks of life, from politicians and judges to drag queens and native Alaskans. They came because Frank was a man whose life of accomplishments left no room for judgment - he accepted everyone into his world. Even people who knew Frank well might be unaware of his personal history because he chose not to relive the past, and looked to the future. Frank was born in Iowa and attended school in Nebraska and Shaftsbury, Dorset, England. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in education, and went on to obtain a master's degree in environmental planning at the University of California, Berkeley. During the 60's, he... skated professionally with the Shipstad-Johnson Ice Follies. He served in the Army and was stationed in Korea with the Peacekeeping Corps. Frank lived in San Francisco for 15 years before moving to Anchorage, Alaska in 1978. It was in San Francisco that he met the kinds of friends who were still part of his life when he died in April. He made a tremendous contribution to life in Anchorage. He taught figure and speed skating there, and officiated for the 1988 Arctic Winter Games. For many years Frank served on the Board of Directors of the Alaskan Mental Health Association, and in 1985 was a co-founder of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association, which provides financial and emotional support for people with HIV disease. Until his retirement in March, he worked for the State Department of National Resources as an environmental planner. In 1990 fate brought Frank to the Gay Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia, where he met Ross Critch, who would live with him during his last years in Alaska. The joy and love they shared was something dreams are made of, and the reality was just as fine. Frank was an avid traveler, and ventured to almost every continent on the globe until his AIDS diagnosis in 1985. His health status never prevented him from enjoying a full life, which included his beloved operas, gardening, champagne and cheap cigars. Frank is survived by his mother and a brother and sister, who all live in Alaska, and by his beloved companion, Ross. We bid farewell to a gentleman."
*Source for inclusion: Obituaries, Bay Area Reporter, June 11, 1992
