Robert Hansford Tyler

Robert Hansford Tyler, 57, of Biloxi, died unexpectedly Sunday, June 5th, 201l, in Gulfport. He was born in 1953, in McComb, Mississippi, the second son of Margie Fairchild and William Riley Tyler, Sr. He was a graduate of McComb High School and was elected as Governor of Boys State in 1971. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Millsaps College and obtained his Doctorate of Jurisprudence, with distinction, from Mississippi College School of Law, where he served as the editor in chief of the Mississippi College Law Review. Upon graduation from law school, he served as a law clerk for the Mississippi Supreme Court and then served a two year clerkship with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. He was a member of the Mississippi Bar, where he served on the Ethics Committee, the Fee Dispute Resolution Committee, and the Insurance Committee. Bob was also a member of the Board of Bar Commissioners and served on the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. He also served on the Biloxi Civil Service Commission. He has been recognized by his colleagues for his outstanding legal ability and devotion to the public and profession as reflected by his selection as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. His trial advocacy skills have been recognized by his peer selection as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He was a long time member of the Mississippi Association for Justice and has been a frequent speaker at seminars on topics ranging from trial practice, uninsured motorist litigation, bad faith litigation, and admiralty and maritime law. He had served on the Administrative Board at First United Methodist Church in Biloxi where he was a member. He was predeceased by his father, William Riley Tyler, Sr. He is survived by his mother, Margie Fairchild Tyler, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; his two brothers, Dan (Adele Brown) Tyler and Bill (Cindy Clark) Tyler of Nashville, Tennessee; his wife of 37 years, Debra Watts Tyler, his daughter Jennifer Tyler Baker (Roy), and his granddaughter Grace Tyler Baker, of Biloxi. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. Visitation is Tuesday June, 7, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home on Howard Avenue in Biloxi. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church, Porter Avenue in Ocean Springs MS, where friends may visit from 11:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow in . Southern Memorial Park in Biloxi.