SOUTHWICK – A tribute to Tyler James Granfield will be held at The Cove in Southwick, tomorrow starting at 3 p.m. This will be a time to celebrate the extraordinary life of a very inspirational young man.
Tyler died an untimely death last March 29 while on the job. The owner of Tyler’s Tree Service, Tyler was a lover of trees, animals, and all things found in nature. His mother, Chris Granfield, said he was always an adventurer.
“Tyler was the boy who was always missing,” she said. “We’d be ready for church or something and we were always looking for him and we usually found him up in a tree, laughing. He was all eyes and ears, constantly learning from nature around him and from the people he would meet.”
In addition to honoring his memory, the April 6 event is a fundraiser for scholarships in Tyler’s name, as well as causes near and dear to him, including the Southwick Animal Shelter and Food Pantry.
Chris said Tyler went through Southwick Public Schools until seventh grade. At that time, she and husband Kerry felt that he needed to try a more challenging, structured school with a more influential atmosphere. So Tyler attended Wilbraham Monson Academy for three crucial years in which he “became a little man.”
“He loved getting up in the morning and dressing in his required attire. Who knew that this was probably the most influential years of his life?” she said.
As business finances became more challenging, Tyler had to leave WMA and he decided to go to Westfield Vocational Technical High School. He was in the Landscape/Horticulture program where he learned about greenhouses, landscaping etc.
“It was different,” said Chris. “He came home and said ‘Mom, they wear jeans and flannel shirts.’ It was a different world from Wilbraham-Monson and he loved it.”
As a junior, Tyler led his class in a project where they built a greenhouse on the Granfield property. He started a business, “Granfield’s Greenhouse” and was committed to it for a few years. Chris said his teacher, Mr. Stuart, sent a card that said, “Tyler’s greenhouse project was the highlight of my teaching career.”
When Tyler graduated from WVTHS in 2002, he received a scholarship to go to UMass, Stockbridge Program. He only attended for a year because “he said that they couldn’t teach him anything and he couldn’t sit still for the lectures with 300 people.” Chris said.
Tyler then worked for Granfield Tree Service. He ran the business with his brother Billy while Kerry went to clean up the hurricane Katrina mess in Florida. When Kerry returned, Tyler decided to start his own business, Tyler’s Tree Service, in 2005.
Chris said Tyler was always independent and a leader. His business was successful and he bought his own home at age 21.
His death shook the residents of Southwick. People waited in lines for four hours or more at his wake, and some had to leave after waiting so long. Chris said part of the reason for the celebration tomorrow was to give those people a chance to pay their respects.
Chris said she sees signs of Tyler everywhere she goes and she hears stories daily about him, often from strangers.
“An elderly couple just bought six tickets o the event because after their son died a few years ago. Tyler went to visit them all the time,” said Chris. “I never knew that – I’ve learned so much this past year.”
Chris said Tyler lives on in so many ways.
“Every day we are approached by people who haven’t seen us and we still get cards in the mail,” she said. “The Connecticut Eye Bank sent an angel pin to honor his first anniversary. Tyler’s corneas were donated and now two people who were blind can now see.”
Scholarships are given to a Voc-Tech student, as well as a student resident of Southwick, in Tyler’s name.
Chris said a limited number of tickets are available at the door and donations to the scholarship program can be made to the Tyler Granfield Fund at Westfield Bank. Donations in his name are also appreciated at the Southwick animal shelter and food pantry.
“We are very proud of Tyler for all the awesome memories and for the many people he inspired, both young and old,” said Chris. “We are so proud of what a leader he was amongst his age group. Tyler lived an extreme life where he experienced everything that one could only dream about.”
