Tyler Dean Baker

Tyler was known by all who knew and loved him as a caring and loving soul, with a wonderful, dry sense of humor, shared by both his parents and many extended family members. Our family motto was and still is, “We gotta laugh every day.”

Tyler grew up with a deep faith in God that he learned from his Grandma Anna Mae, and every time he saw his Grandma, they prayed together and Grandma always told him about the miraculous grace of God. Tyler grew up hearing his Dad listen to and play 1960s and 1970s classic rock music and that became Tyler’s favorite genre of music. He knew the names of almost any song and could cite the artist immediately when hearing the songs.

Tyler loved college and professional sports, especially football and baseball, and could tell you all about the players, the names of the stadiums where games were held, and even commercials and movies some of the athletes were featured in. He loved movies from all genres and time eras, and once again could name most all actors and cite their backgrounds and other movies they appeared in. Tyler was known for randomly locating a YouTube video that somehow directly related to any conversation he heard taking place within his earshot, and doing so within 10 seconds. He created his own social media accounts and made tons of social connections that he utilized daily. He had a long list of family members and friends that he loved to call and text. This was his brilliance in connecting the dots in the world and his creative way of formulating social connections. He loved trying to make others laugh, and at times, he didn’t hesitate telling quite a “spirited” funny story, or send a funny video or song to others as he became an adult. Tyler made us laugh every single day, no matter what challenges were faced.

Tyler’s deepest passions in his life included his deep love for all of his family. He enjoyed contacting distant cousins or relatives he had not seen in a long time, or perhaps only met once. If Tyler met you, and you were family, he loved you and wanted to stay in contact. Tyler was especially proud of his role as Uncle to his nieces, Lara and Lucia. He would often refer to them as “beautiful.”

Tyler was a man of family tradition and he loved all holidays, especially Christmas, and was not shy about notifying everyone in his contact list that his birthday was approaching, and he surely needed some gifts. Still, Tyler held dear the story of Christ’s birth, going to Catholic mass, and the family dinners and celebrations.

Tyler had a deep, life-long passion for watching, learning about and talking to birds. He was savant in his knowledge of many different species of birds, citing their migration patterns, geographic origins, and more. He especially loved mourning and white-winged dove species. He could talk birds for hours. They truly touched his soul. Tyler believed any white dove he saw was the holy spirit, something he celebrated and talked about often with this grandmother. This belief was very special to him. Tyler once told his parents he wished he could live as a dove and fly.

Ty also had a deep passion for video games from age 6. He was a grandmaster in video games. His passions included researching the games, watching videos about different games, learning how and when they were designed, talking to others about his games, buying and trading games and of course playing them. He would play them until he beat all the levels. And then buy some more!

Tyler participated in public education and graduated Maricopa High School in 2009, making an individualized and awesome exit of his own. He accepted his diploma on a stage on the football field, then abruptly turned the opposite direction of his classmates and walked off the field. He had his diploma and was good to go. He was always his own man. Tyler participated in Special Olympics track, golf and bocce ball for many years and earned an Arizona State Championship Title in Pairs Bocce Ball in 2009.

Tyler loved to travel since he was a toddler, road trips, flying in airplanes (until recently). He traveled with his family to Europe when he was 10 years old, and took a cruise to Mexico with his parents when he was 8. His favorite places to visit were San Diego, Sea World and Disneyland, especially the gift shops.

Tyler was extremely proud that he lived in his own apartment with the aid of care staff, for two years before returning to live with his parents in 2023. Tyler often talked about “my house,” and enjoyed showing his home to others on a facetime call. This was a period of tremendous growth and maturity for Tyler.

Tyler is survived by his parents Dean and Denise Baker, Phoenix, AZ, his sister Jenny Plaza, brother-in-law Alex Plaza, nieces Laura and Lucia Cecchet, Maricopa, AZ and Grandparents Don and Jane Baker, Sun Lakes, AZ.

Memorial contributions in Tyler's memory may be made here: https://rmhccnaz.org/donate/ or checks sent to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona 501 E. Roanoke Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004.

A private Celebration of Life for Tyler will be held in the near future by invitation only. Condolences to the family and memories of Tyler may be shared here by clicking below, "Add a Memory".