Bernard Tyler

TYLER, Captain Bernard, of 4300 Hillbrook Avenue, Richmond, Va., went home to be with the Lord on August 16, 2010, at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Hanover, Va. He was the beloved son of the late Deacon Johnnie Tyler and Deaconess Mary Magdelene Tyler. He was preceded in death by his siblings, Howard and Milton Tyler, Linda Powell and Shirley Brewer. At an early age Bernard joined Zion Baptist Church where he attended Sunday School and was in the junior choir. Captain Tyler graduated from E. W. Wyatt High School in Emporia, Va. He attended Southside Community College, where he received an Associate's Degree in Business Administration. Captain Tyler, the grandson of slaves, served as a member of the 101st Airborne in the U.S. Army as a door gunner and was shortly promoted to Crew Chief during the Vietnam War. He distinguished himself by earning The National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Service Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and he was a Marksman in Rifle. After an honorable discharge, he was briefly employed with Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Brown & Williamson, before he devoted the remainder of his professional life to the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice System for 31 years, retiring in 2009. He leaves to cherish his memory two brothers, Russell Tyler (Kathy) of Richmond, Va., who was his devoted caregiver, and Perry Tyler (Rose) of Emporia, Va.; five sisters, Lillian Manning and Carolyn Jones (Thomas), both of Emporia, Va., Gertrude Lawson (Larry) of Plainsfield, N.J., Virginia Ball (Charles) of Camden-Wyoming, Del. and Ernestine Moore of Petersburg, Va.; one brother-in-law, Clayton Powell of Emporia, Va.; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many devoted friends. A memorial service will be held on August 21, 2010, at 2 p.m. at the Mimms Funeral Home located at 1827 Hull Street, Richmond, Va. (804)232-3874. Funeral services will be conducted on Monday at 12 noon at Zion Baptist Church, 3155 Smokey Ordinary Rd., Purdy, Va. 23847. Interment will follow in the Brown Family Cemetery, Purdy, Va. Arrangements have been entrusted to the staff of R.E. Pearson and Son Funeral Services, Inc. 556 Halifax Street, Emporia, Va. 23847, (434)634-2162.