Memorial Bench for Tyler on Iron Horse Trail

On October 16, I lost my best friend. Tyler was the fun to my seriousness. He kept me grounded.

Tyler was diagnosed with a very rare cancer almost 4 years ago. He fought so hard to ensure he had as much time as possible in this world. That fight included surgery, a few rounds of chemotherapy, and even more rounds of radiation - both locally and at Cleveland Clinic. During all of that, Tyler continued to work and take care of projects around the house to help improve our lives.

I have learned that most people who interacted with Tyler through work, didn’t even know he was sick. He definitely didn’t let cancer define who he was.

For those of you that knew Tyler on a personal level, you knew he was a hobbyist at heart. We always had some fun new toy or gadget that we were testing out, from coffee makers to 3-D printers to telescopes, and almost everything in between. Not every hobby stuck but one that we both have enjoyed over the past few years was going on bike rides.

Tyler loved his electric bike and we were so fortunate to have a trail so close to home. I have so many fond memories of our rides on that trail. As Tyler‘s disease progressed, and the village closed the trail for some incredible upgrades, I was worried our trail time had come to an end.

In the past month, Tyler had begun needing a wheelchair for long distances. One of the incredible upgrades the village was making to the trail system was paving a section of it. The paving portion was completed a couple weeks ago, and I was able to sneak Tyler past the trail closed signs so we could enjoy one last trip together. Although he wasn’t on his electric bike, he did get an opportunity to see the upgrades prior to passing.

So many people have reached out asking how they can help during this time. As stated in Tyler‘s obituary, my goal is to have a memorial bench placed on the trail. All donations and contributions will be saved until the spring, at which time I hope the village is ready to start placing benches.

Tyler and I have always been very private people. However, I have learned in the past couple of days that he had a global reach that I never could have imagined. Reading about his interactions with other people has been incredibly cathartic. Even if you’re not able to contribute financially to the memorial bench, please don’t hesitate to share a story or a memory that you have of Tyler. It would mean the world to me.

Tyler Bernath Obituary

Tyler W. Bernath, 41 of Montpelier passed away on October 16, 2024 in the comfort of his home listening to his favorite music with his significant other Nicki. He was born on October 7, 1983 in Montpelier to Ronald W. and Rhonda (Wright) Bernath. He attended Montpelier High School and since 2013 he was the hardware editor of Tweaktown Software Company.

For people that knew Tyler, he was passionate about his music, going to Detroit Tiger’s Baseball games, Ohio State Football and Detroit Lion’s Football. He was a self-taught individual and loved to tinker with things even if he had no idea what he was doing. Tyler had a quick wit and had a great sense of humor. He also enjoyed being in the outdoors and biking on his electric bike, especially on the Iron Horse River Trail.

Tyler is survived by his significant other Nicki L. Rigelman of Montpelier, mother Rhonda Wright of Montpelier, father Ron Bernath of Montpelier, sister Crystal Bernath of Montpelier, brother Tony (Lynn) Wright of Montpelier, four nieces and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his step-father Michael Wright, Ron's partner Dan Frazee and good friend Ricky Wittmayer

A time to receive friends will be held on Monday, October 21, 2024 from 3-6 P.M. at the Thompson Funeral Home on Main Street in Montpelier. Memorial contributes can be made to Nicki for the installation of a bench on the Iron Horse River Trail.