Tyler John Lantz, our wild-haired middle son, brightened our lives with his incandescent smile and warm soul. Though his loss leaves a dark hole in our lives, our hearts are full knowing that his legacy of caring, kindness and joy will live on in his family and friends.
Tyler dedicated his life to helping others, which makes his shocking death at 21 years old especially sad because we know he had more to give to this world.
With his goofy charm, mischievous grin and contagious laugh, Ty was a magnet to others. He touched thousands of lives — and every one of them mattered to him. With a heart befitting his 6-foot-5 frame, Ty never failed to lend a hand or make someone feel special.
His independence and his intelligence impressed us beyond measure. His resilience and his resolve earned our undying respect. His passion for life and his compassion for others inspired us. His quick wit and his quirks made us laugh.
And boy did we love his quirks.
He rarely wore a shirt, claiming a bare torso was “freeing.”
For the better part of a year, his outfit of choice included yellow rain boots and a black felt fedora.
His fondness for flannel was pure ’90s. His cheesy mustache and untamed blond mane were straight out of the ’70s.
As a child, he once insisted that everyone call him Joseph because it “sounded cool.”
A voracious reader and a voracious eater, it wasn’t uncommon for Ty to devour a book and decimate his parents’ pantry in a day (except for any food he deemed “too squishy.”)
A self-admitted klutz (with multiple scars to prove it), Ty was always active. Lacrosse, cross-country and football. Rock climbing, skiing and hiking. Golf and bowling. (Just kidding. He was a terrible golfer and only slightly better at bowling.)
He truly thrived in the classroom. He graduated among the top 10 percent of seniors at Mountain View High in 2020. He was a counselor at Boys State, a member of the Boise State Honors College and was on track to apply to medical school.
He is survived by his parents, Laura and Jason; his brothers, Connor and Colin; his grandparents, Kaspar and Mary Anne Lantz of Missoula, Mont. and John and Lee Hipsher of Meridian. He was preceded in death by his grandmother Teresa Lantz.
His loss leaves a void in our hearts and our lives, but it comforts us to know that Ty is at peace and in a better place, reconnecting with family members who preceded him and no doubt converting more strangers into friends.
We just hope he’s wearing a shirt.
There will be a memorial service at 2:24 p.m., Feb. 24 at the Boise Depot, 2603 W Eastover Terrace, Boise, ID 83706. The service will run from 2:24 – 3:30 p.m., with an open house drop in from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. Parking may be tight so please share a ride if possible.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Tyler Lantz’s memory to St. Luke’s Health Foundation at http://www.stlukesonline.org/give or mailed to St. Luke’s Health Foundation 190 E Bannock Boise, ID 83712.
Funds will be donated in Tyler’s name toward the Healing Garden, currently under development at the St. Luke’s Meridian Emergency Department. Tyler’s dream and intention was to be a Doctor of Emergency Medicine.