Tyler Larson

Dates

Obituary

Tyler Larson, 41, of Sioux Falls, SD, died Friday, August 14, 2026, at Dougherty Hospice House after a battle with FTD-ALS, surrounded by the family and friends who loved him so deeply in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Friday, August 21, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel with a time of sharing at 6:00 PM. In Tyler’s honor, the family welcomes everyone to wear Atlanta Braves gear for the visitation and Dallas Cowboys gear for the funeral service.

There really wasn’t anyone else quite like Tyler.

Tyler was one of one. He had a personality that filled a room, a sense of humor that was unmistakably his, and an ability to strike up a conversation with just about anybody. Whether he had known you for twenty years or twenty minutes, Tyler had a way of making people feel comfortable. He was unapologetically himself, and people were drawn to him because of it.

But the greatest part of Tyler’s story began early.

Tyler met the love of his life, April, when they were just 15 years old. They began dating at 16, starting the kind of old-school love story that seems increasingly rare—a life built together from teenagers into adulthood, through every season that followed. Together, Tyler and April welcomed two beautiful children, Kaylea and Kayden, who became the center of their world.

Tyler loved his family fiercely. He loved being a husband to April and a dad to Kaylea and Kayden. Of all the things he accomplished and all the things that made him Tyler, his family mattered most.

And if you knew the Larson family, you knew their house.

Tyler and April’s house was the house.

If there was a big game on, a birthday to celebrate, a cookout to have, or simply an excuse for everyone to get together, chances were you were headed to Tyler and April’s. Their home became a gathering place for family and friends, filled with food, music, laughter, sports, stories, and, usually, Tyler holding court somewhere in the middle of it all.

Tyler took his food seriously, too. He was a self-proclaimed—and, according to those lucky enough to eat it, rightfully proclaimed—smoke master. His smoked wings and pork butts were legendary. The smoker wasn’t just something Tyler owned; it was part of the experience of being at his house.

Sports were another language Tyler spoke fluently.

He was a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan and an equally devoted Dallas Cowboys fan. Through the wins, losses, championships, heartbreaks, questionable coaching decisions, and everything in between, Tyler remained loyal. If one of his teams was playing, you probably knew where Tyler would be—and you definitely knew which side he was on.

Music was another one of Tyler’s great passions. Long before an artist or song became popular, there was a good chance Tyler had already found it. He could spend hours in his garage or basement late into the night searching YouTube, discovering new artists and songs, always seemingly a few steps ahead of everyone else. Music wasn’t just background noise for Tyler. It was something he genuinely loved.

Then, of course, there was the beard.

Tyler’s beard was part of the brand.

And make no mistake, Tyler was his own brand.

He took tremendous pride in that beard and possessed enough beard products to make most men question whether they had been doing facial hair wrong their entire lives. Oils, balms, grooming products, whatever it took, Tyler made sure that thing was top-notch.

That was Tyler, though. When he liked something, he was all in.

For more than a decade, Tyler built a successful career with Sherwin-Williams. His natural ability to talk with people, build relationships, and make others feel at ease served him well throughout his career. Those same qualities followed him everywhere else in life.

FTD-ALS eventually began taking things from Tyler, but it could never take away the life he had already built, the relationships he created, or the memories he left behind.

It couldn’t erase countless nights gathered at Tyler and April’s house.

It couldn’t erase the music.

It couldn’t erase the smell of the smoker going in the front yard.

It couldn’t erase Braves baseball or Cowboys Sundays.

It couldn’t erase the jokes, the stories, that beard, or the unmistakable personality that made Tyler exactly who he was.

And it certainly couldn’t erase his love for April, Kaylea, and Kayden.

Tyler Larson was a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a music lover, a sports fanatic, a smoke master, a beard enthusiast, and a man entirely comfortable being himself.

There will never be another Tyler.

He was one of one.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM Friday, August 21, 2026, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell, with burial at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell.

Visitation will be held from 5:00–7:00 PM Thursday, August 20, 2026, at Bittner Funeral Chapel, with a time of sharing beginning at 6:00 PM.

And because a traditional dress code wouldn’t exactly be Tyler’s style, his family asks everyone to help celebrate him the way he would have wanted:

Thursday evening — Atlanta Braves gear.
Come ready to share stories, laugh, remember Tyler, and represent one of the teams he loved.

Friday’s funeral — Dallas Cowboys gear.
Jerseys, shirts, hats—wear your Cowboys gear proudly as we give Tyler the sendoff he deserves.

Tyler spent 41 years building a life that will continue to be talked about, laughed about, listened to, cooked for, and remembered by the people who loved him.

One of one. Always.

Tyler is survived by his beloved wife, April; daughter, Kaylea; son, Kayden; his mother, Barb Cudmore; his father, Kevin (Tamara) Larson; his stepfather, Kellen Hinker; his brother, Dillon (Kylie) Hinker; his sisters, Tara Larson, Dacee Hinker, Amanda Hinker, Megan Hinker, Amber (Michael) Clifford, Arin (Jason) Riggs, and Brandy (Joe) Torres; his father-in-law, Roger (Angela) Schrader; sisters-in-law, Amber (Gabe) Chapman and Jen (Todd) Meinke; a whole lot of nieces and nephews who loved their Uncle Tyler; and dozens of friends who were never really just friends—they were brothers and sisters, family in every way that mattered.

Tyler was preceded in death by his grandparents, Eugene and Sharon Larson and Lynn Cudmore; his great-grandmother, Jean Cudmore; his grandfather-in-law, Ivan Schrader; and his mother-in-law, Eileen Schrader.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to ALS Association at: Walk to Defeat ALS Sioux Falls: Larson Pack - The ALS Association

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