Roll Call Tribute

Published in (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram from July 16 to July 17, 2011

Mark "Tyler" Johnson(1990 - 2011)
Mark "Tyler" Johnson, 20, beloved son, brother and friend, passed away on Friday, July 15, 2011, in College Station. Funeral: 4 p.m. Monday at Lamar Baptist Church, 1000 W. Lamar Blvd., Arlington, with Rev. Charles Saker officiating. Visitation: The family will receive friends 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Arlington Animal Shelter, 1000 Southeast Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington, Texas 76018, 817-459-5898.

Tyler was born on Sept. 28, 1990, in Arlington to Mark N. Johnson and Cheryl Geiser Johnson. A graduate of Martin High School, he was the proudest member of the Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 2013. Tyler was a Class Agent and Big Brother of FAST (Freshman Aggies Spreading Traditions) and a member of First Baptist Church of Arlington. He loved all sports, especially those with the word ball in the title. He relished every chance he had to be outdoors-hunting, fishing, wakeboarding, playing in the pool, and doing anything with his friends, family, and Chrissy, his beloved Schnauzer. He loved watching his Aggies beat any opponent in any sport, especially TU! Tyler was a friend to all and a stranger to none. His light burned bright while he was here on earth and it shines brighter still in heaven now. We will always love him and we will never forget him.

Survivors: Parents, Mark and Cheryl Johnson; sister, Courtney Elise Johnson; maternal grandparents, Doyle and Rosa Lee Geiser; paternal grandparents, Mack and Jane Johnson; aunt, Karen Temple and husband, William; uncle, James Geiser and wife, Stacy; uncle, Todd Johnson and wife, Amy; cousins, Brittany Childs, Blair Temple, Jake and Zane Johnson, and Kaylee and Austin Geiser; and a host of friends.
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Always an Aggie
Tyler was a friend to all and a stranger to none

By Robby Smith
The Battalion
Published: Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Mark "Tyler" Johnson, 20, beloved son, brother, friend and proudest member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2013, passed away July 15 in College Station. Tyler was born Sept. 28, 1990, in Arlington, Texas, to Mark and Cheryl Johnson. Tyler was a
member of First Baptist Church of Arlington.

A graduate of Martin High School, Tyler became a die-hard Aggie after staying with his older sister one weekend for a football game. Tyler's mother, Cheryl, said Tyler returned home after the game, burned all of his Longhorn stuff and sent out only one college application, to A&M.

Tyler had recently changed his major to recreational parks and tourism sciences and was an avid outdoorsman. His mother said that if he wasn't watching the Aggies beat Texas at some sport, then he was outside hunting. Tyler planned to work in tourism or hotel management after graduating.

At A&M, Tyler was a class agent and big brother in Freshman Aggies Spreading Traditions (FAST), a freshman leadership organization. He was also involved in intramural softball and football, having played sports growing up and football in high school. He loved all sports and enjoyed doing anything with his friends, family and his beloved Schnauzer, Chrissy.

Tyler was a friend to all and a stranger to none. His family said he loved music of all types, going to concerts and making playlists.

"We both love music, Tyler more than me," said Tyler's father, Mark, at the July memorial service. "And he loved all kinds of music, from Bob Marley, to Blink 182 to CCR, to Sublime, to Pepper, to Lynyrd Skynyrd—he loved so much.  Some of his favorite memories were concerts and the times he and his friends were there."

Tyler's mother, Cheryl, said he had many quotes around his bathroom mirror and used them often. He wrote one of his favorites in a letter to to his girlfriend.

"I believe we can measure how good a life we live by the love and happiness we bring to others," Tyler wrote.

Although Tyler was not able to obtain his own Aggie ring, his sister Courtney asked Tyler to place her ring on her finger. The two spent a year at A&M together, where they had weekly "family time" to hang out. His family said they will continue to return to Aggieland every fall for football gamesand tailgating.

"We know Tyler would be furious if we gave up on the Aggies because of him. We have so many good memories in College Station, we don't want a tragedy to keep us from having more," Cheryl said.

She added that the Johnson family will visit Tyler's friends at A&M, and plan to keep their tickets forever.

Tyler's family made clear that his light burned bright, and it shines brighter still now.

Tyler is survived by parents, Mark and Cheryl Johnson; sister, Courtney Elise Johnson; maternal grandparents, Doyle and Rosa Lee Geiser; paternal grandparents, Mack and Jane Johnson; aunt, Karen Temple and husband, William; uncle, James Geiser and wife, Stacy; uncle, Todd Johnson and wife, Amy; cousins, Brittany Childs, Blair Temple, Jake and Zane Johnson, and Kaylee and Austin Geiser.