Month: May 2024

Born on Staten Island, New York, in 1942, I attended and graduated from Curtis High School in 1960. After graduating from Nichols College, I was employed by Moody’s Investors Service in the Municipal Bond Department. My position involved analyzing municipalities, utilities and school districts and issuing a quality assessment in the form of a municipal bond rating. In 1972 I was hired by The First Boston Corporation to create a Municipal Bond Research Department. In 1985 I joined Bond Investors Guaranty (BIG), a startup company that insured municipal bonds issued by municipalities, utilities and school districts across the country. BIG was bought out in 1990 by a competitor. I then joined Enhance Financial Services Group and managed the municipal bond insurance group until my retirement in 1996.

We have two children both of whom are graduates of Darien High School. Christine graduated in 1987. She attended Trinity College in Hartford and received her law degree from George Washington University. She and her rowing partner won three World Rowing Championships and a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics in Australia. Christine Collins is now an attorney in the legal division of Boston University. Our son Bernie, after graduating from DHS in 1990 and Guilford College in 1994, started his own company, Stealth Components, in Charlotte, NC. His company has an office in Europe and brokers electronic components worldwide.

We were members of The Country Club of Darien from 1987 until 2012. I was a member of CCD’s Board of Directors for four years and President in 2009. My wife Sonia and I now reside in North Falmouth, MA.

I grew up in Darien in the third generation of Tylers. I graduated from Darien High School (DHS) in 1967 and attended Sacred Heart University before joining the Air Force in 1969, serving in Texas, Vietnam, and California as an Education Specialist and an Aircraft Cargo Loadmaster on C141’s in the Pacific. Following my military service, I attended the University of Connecticut, working summers as a shipyard laborer, casino cook, engineering intern, and independent painting contractor.

After graduating in 1977 with a Degree in Civil Engineering, I worked five years as a structural design engineer in Texas, Stamford, and New Canaan and became a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Connecticut in 1982. I then worked with Hardesty & Hanover Consulting Engineers, NYC for 16 years focusing on construction management and Resident Engineering. I served as the owner’s representative on major bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects which included the Yankee Doodle over the Norwalk River and two moveable bridges in the Bronx.

The next 25 years were spent with the Slattery Contracting Company (later renamed Skanska USA Civil NE) serving as Quality Manager for mega projects including the JFK AirTrain, Kosciuszko Cable Stayed Bridge, Reconstruction of the World Trade Center, and Moynihan Station on 33rd Street.  During this time, I became a member of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and served as voting member on Committees, becoming secretary and Chair of one of them as well as a contributing author, editor, and champion on several ACI publications.

I am a registered PE in Connecticut and New York and hold certifications with ACI, the American Welding Society (AWS), the International Code Council (ICC), and the American Society for Quality (ASQ). 

My wife of 38 years, Nancy Anderson Tyler, recently passed away. Nancy was raised in Fairfield. We spent most of our time together living in Darien. She was a pillar for our family, providing guidance and motivation for both me and our daughter Lindsay, and helping numerous family members. Some of our best memories were home renovation projects early on, time spent with her parents in Fairfield, family trips to Cape Cod, and many great weekends up at Dartmouth to cheer at Lindsay’s swim meets. Aside from her thoughtfulness and sharp memory, she also had a competitive spirit and a generosity that reached friends and teammates in the community. Both Nancy and Lindsay were active at the Middlesex Club and the Darien YMCA. 

My daughter Lindsay was Salutatorian of the DHS Class of 2011 and graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College. She was varsity swim team captain in her senior years at both schools. Lindsay now lives in Manhattan and works at Morgan Stanley as an Executive Director. 

I am recently retired and am in the process of restructuring my life after a 47-year career and a 38-year marriage. I intend to spend more time outside, get more exercise (and a bit better at golf), and finish the numerous projects I never had the time to get to. I enjoy yard work, history channels, anthropology, articles in the Science Times, Mexican food, and BBQ. My favorite sports to watch include baseball, football, and college basketball. I like country, folk, and blues (old stuff) and can play a little on guitar and harmonica (better harmonica than guitar). I look forward to seeing how I can contribute to the DMA.

I was born in Bronxville, NY and grew up in what is now known as Eastchester, but then it was part of Scarsdale, NY.  I attended Kent School and Marietta College (Marietta, OH), graduating in 1976 with a BA in Economics and Business Management.  

I began my career with NCR Corporation the week after graduation, in sales within their Systemedia Division (Business Forms and Supplies).  During my 37 years with NCR I had various roles which included sales, sales management, product management and product development.  

After NCR and I went our separate ways, I did sales work for a few years with small companies before retiring to become a caregiver for my wife.

While at Kent I was a member of two crews that rowed at the Henely Royal Regatta, in 1971 and 1972.  A British acquaintance commented “There are two ways to row at Henely; lose in the first round and enjoy the regatta-or win the damn thing!” That’s exactly what happened-we lost in ’71 yet in ’72 we completed an undefeated season (US Schoolboy Champions) with a Princess Elizabeth Cup win at Henley.

I continued rowing at Marietta, with an undefeated Freshman heavyweight boat (Small College Champions) and 3 years in either the Varsity lightweights or heavyweights. I also met my wife Pam while at Marietta, and we were married in 1975.

With NCR, we called Croton-on-Hudson, NY, Severna Park, MD and Centerville, OH “home” before moving to Darien, in 1988.  Our third son Mark was born here, while Peter was born almost 9 years earlier and Andrew 6 years earlier.

We have had three addresses in Darien the last two on-the-water, allowing me to take up rowing once again.  Beginning in 2006, I’ve competed in various ‘head’ races in my single scull, such as the Head of the Charles, the Schuykill, Head of the Fish and others. Currently I am also a member of the Vero Beach Rowing Club as well as Leander Club (Henley, England) and the Kent School Boat Club.

Since moving to Darien, I have been very involved in volunteer opportunities, from Darien Youth Hockey, Person-to-Person, and a variety of Outreach programs through Saint Luke’s Parish, where I am currently serving a second stint on the Vestry and am a member of its Executive Committee.  I am also a member of the Darien Sail and Power Squadron, serving as its Executive Officer.  I am the proud owner of my Mother’s 1966 Mustang and my 1969 Chris Craft powerboat, which is moored off of Noroton Yacht Club, where I have been a member since 1991.

My wife Pam was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011, which quickly morphed into Lewy Body Dementia.  Because it was the right thing for me to do, I left my career to become her primary caregiver in 2015.  She passed away in 2021.    I would not trade those years for anything; I learned more about “love” than I ever imagined.

Today, I continue a heavy, heartwarming commitment to volunteer work, I continue to write and row, and I thoroughly enjoy having my two grandsons in Fairfield, CT.