Richard Lenox Tyler

Mr. Richard Lenox Tyler, Jr. died February 18, 2025 in Dothan, Alabama. He was known as “Mr. Richard” or “Dick” to his friends and neighbors, but as “Dickie” to his family and his beloved mother, Tommie Lil Mason Tyler.

Dickie was born March 30, 1944 in Macon, Georgia to Tommie and her husband Richard Lenox Tyler, Sr. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Margaret Tyler Mitchell and Jane Tyler Mandell, both of whom called him “Brother” all of his life.

He was a graduate of Lanier High School in Macon in 1963, where he joined the Junior ROTC when Lanier had the largest ROTC in the U.S., with over 2,000 cadets. After high school, Dickie attended the University of Georgia in Athens. He was a member of the Army ROTC and graduated in 1967 with a degree in accounting. He worked as an auditor for the Federal Government for 29 years until his retirement in 2004.

When he graduated from UGA, he received a second lieutenant’s commission and served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from April 1968 to March 1970. With his fellows in the 14th Quartermaster Platoon (attached to the 512th Quartermaster Company) he performed the difficult and dangerous work of keeping communication lines in repair. He received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Two Overseas Service Bars, and the Bronze Star for non-combat "Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations Against Hostile Forces.” In his citation for the Bronze Star, commanders lauded him for “energetically applying his sound judgement and extensive knowledge” to this assignment. The family story often told of his return home from Vietnam featured the anonymous cab driver who drove him up to his mother’s door and with tears in his eyes and great pride, returned Dickie, a soldier, to his mother.

Dickie remained a lifelong Bulldog fan and was seldom seen without his UGA baseball cap. He was an avid coin collector, a formidable tennis player, a loving son and brother, a great uncle, and the caretaker of many cats in need of a home. He also had one of the world’s great minds for sports statistics.

He is survived by his nieces Lee Tyler Darter, Margaret Tyler Mitchell, Mary Niall Mitchell and their spouses, as well as his great nephew William Louis Pult and his most recent house cat, Peachy II. He is remembered by numerous extended family, neighbors, and friends, particularly his dear friends in Dothan at the Cardiac Rehab Clinic of Flowers Hospital and Mom’s Kitchen.

Dickie will be buried in Macon, GA.