Dorothy Tyler was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on May 27, 1935, the daughter of David and Clara Lafanette.  Dorothy a beautiful Woman of God, Mother, Sister, Aunt, Grandmother, Great, Great-great grandmother, and Friend went home to be with the Lord on August 22, 2021, at home surrounded by her family.

Dorothy was raised and christened at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lake Charles and attended the Sacred Heart Catholic school.  As a young lady, Dorothy met the love of her life Walter Tyler a young Air Force airmen stationed at Lake Charles Air Force Base (AFB) and they married April 2, 1952, in Lake Charles, LA. Upon her marriage Dorothy converted from Catholicism and was baptized into the Baptist faith.

As a military family they were blessed to be relocated to Ashiya AFB, Japan, back to Lake Charles AFB, to Vandenberg AFB and then to Kadena AFB, Okinawa. Dorothy talked fondly of her experience of living in Japan and Okinawa as a military family. After her husband's retirement in 1970 they chose to relocate back to the Lompoc area to raise their children. Dorothy was a homemaker for many years while her children were growing up. She gained a reputation of being great with children as she lovingly cared for her niece Belinda and then her grandchildren which eventually led to her becoming the neighborhood babysitter. She helped to raise many of her grandchildren and even the neighborhood children who loved her and lovingly referred to her as granny or grandma!

Dorothy was an excellent cook and was well known for delicious cooking of meals like Creole seafood gumbo, dirty rice, shrimp etouffee, okra with shrimp in red tomato gravy, an expert at frying fish/shrimp, red beans, and rice, you name it, and she could cook it. Her children lovingly refer to her as their 'Creole Queen".  Dorothy loved to see people enjoying her food!  She loved her native Louisiana Zydeco music and attending the annual Long Beach Crawfish and Cajun Festivals where she happily chowed down on crawfish and enjoyed dancing the day and evening away with family and friends.

Dorothy's love for God was her guiding star and she made sure her children were brought up in the church because she knew the importance of having a relationship with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When returning to the Lompoc area from Okinawa, Dorothy joined her sister Doris and became a member of Grace Temple Missionary Baptist Church where she served as an usher, deaconess and mother of the church. She loved attending the annual Gospel Choir concerts and hearing the singing of the more traditional gospel songs especially those by Shirley Caesar her favorite gospel artist.

Dorothy exemplified the true meaning of unconditional love for all who crossed her path. On many occasions, she opened the door of her home to those who needed a place to stay.  She left a "Legacy of Love" for her family and all others who knew her. She was soft-spoken and kind to everyone she met.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, nine siblings, husband Walter Tyler Sr, son Joseph L. Tyler, and daughter Jacqueline "Jackie" Tyler.

Dorothy will forever be remembered by her sister: Florence Hawkins of Avondale, AZ; sons: Charmain Lazine, of Lompoc and Walter Tyler (Thelma) of St. Louis, MO; daughters: Shirley Drouillard of Lompoc, CA; Brenda Tyler of Lancaster, CA; Glory J. Moore of Lompoc, CA; Rhoda Tyler of Las Vegas, NV; Carolyn Robinson (Irving) of Lompoc, CA; a host of nieces, nephews, 20 grandchildren, 59 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and many close family friends.

The Tyler family appreciates your love and support. We sincerely apologize but would ask that you respect our decision to limit attendance of the Celebration of Life service to only our family and select family friends due to the recent increased spread of the new more contagious COVID-19 variant.