John Tyiska

TYISKA, Mr. John - Age 92, passed away Friday, April 6, 2007 at his residence. Family hour 10AM Friday, April 13, 2007 at Quinn Chapel AME Church, 2101 Lippincott Blvd., with funeral service commencing at 11AM. Pastor Stanley U. Sims officiating. Interment Flint Memorial Park Cemetery, G-9506 N. Dort Hwy. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10AM Friday. Mr. Tyiska will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., and may be viewed from 9AM-6PM Thursday. Mr. John Bernard Tyiska was born in Overton, Texas on September 27, 1914, the eldest son of Demorie and Bessie Tyiska. Nicknamed "Bud," he shouldered much of the responsibility on the family farm until he completed Emmett Scott High School in Tyler, TX. He graduated from Texas College in 1938 and married fellow student, Maude Hackett. He taught in Crockett, TX and in 1944, moved his family to Flint, MI. He supported his family as a cement finisher until the 1960's when he began teaching in the Flint Community Schools and retired in 1980 from Holmes Junior High School. He served as president of the PTA, was a Big Brother, and was a charter member of the Flint chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. John faithfully served executive board of the Valley Area Agency on Aging for 23 years and on the MTA Board of Directors. He was an active member of Quinn Chapel AME Church for 63 years. He served as Superintendent of the Sunday School, treasurer of the Steward Board, and sang in several choirs. John served as a Trustee, established the Mayme Mitchum Scholorship Fund and served on that committee. He was a charter member of the Men's Fellowship, three-time president of the Quinn Chapel lay organization, and president and teacher of the Lenora Jackson Bible class. He is survived by his wife, Maude Tyiska; daughter, Georgia Tyiska Wright of Landsdowne, VA; son, Lowell Tyiska of Flint; grandchildren, Daryl (Maryclaire) Wright of Boston, MA, David Wright of Columbia, MD, April Wright of Baltimore, MD, and Kenja Tyiska of St. Louis, MO; great-grandchildren, Jonathan, France and Maxine Wright; sisters, Ora Smith of San Francisco, CA, Demetrius Sims of Lynnwood, CA, B. Ruth (Elmer) Wynne of Tyler, TX, and Belvia Strickland of Chicago, IL; brother, James (Alice Jean) Tyiska of Flint; sister-in-law, Mattie Tyiska of Chicago, IL; brother-in-law, William Jones of Tyler, TX; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Alex Tyiska; sisters, Linnie Barnes, Eula Wiley and Erma Jean Jones.

John Tyiska

September 27, 1914 - April 6, 2007