Death of Esther Tyler

previousnext

Esther Tyler, retired librarian, passed away on Monday, May 1, at her home in Ringgold, Georgia, after a six-year battle with cancer. Esther served as a librarian at Andrews University for over 40 years.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared with Esther’s loved ones here, under the “Show Your Support” section. Please keep Esther’s loved ones in your prayers as they seek God’s comfort during this difficult time.

The following tribute was prepared by Cynthia Mae Helms, on behalf of the James White Library.

---

Esther Tyler served as the head cataloger of the James White Library (JWL) at Andrews University for many years. We remember her as a quiet, kind, soft-spoken person who was always smiling. Not only was she easy to work with, she was also a true friend to all those who worked with her. As a warm and cordial person, she did not hesitate to send a note of encouragement to those who needed it. She was not afraid to stand up for herself and others. Although she did not say much, she had a lot of details working all together in her mind. Not many are aware of the fact that she had a great sense of humor.

She started her librarianship when cataloging was done by hand—way before the age of computers. Her cataloging experience at JWL included the historical move from a manual card catalog to an electronic online catalog. She proved her adaptability by embracing the new technology while continuing to do the careful and meticulous job of cataloging, thus contributing to the accuracy of many parts of the current catalog. Like many catalogers, she was a very organized and detail-oriented person. Regardless of the method of cataloging, she saw to it that standardized cataloging rules were followed and employees in her department were well acquainted with any changes that needed to be implemented. She is remembered for her humility and patience in teaching those who needed to be trained—she never made them feel ignorant. Her Christianity was seen without her telling it.

During her break times, she would be seen watering and tending the plants in the department instead of chatting on the phone. Though her personal encounters with the public were limited due to the nature of her work, she maintained good relationships with those around her. She had chances to mingle with a wider circle of colleagues and friends during departmental and library-wide potlucks where she was best known for her signature dishes: Watergate salad and stuffed dates.

After retirement, she continued her devotion to library work by volunteering at the ANGEL (Adventist Network of General Education Libraries) Project at the McKee Library, Southern Adventist University. She loved to hear news and talk about Andrews University, librarianship in general, and the wider community through contacts with long-time friends, colleagues and retired librarians from James White Library and McKee Library. Whenever possible, I personally made it a point to see her when I was within the vicinity of her residence because it gave her much joy to be visited by those of us with whom she usually communicated with via phone or mail.

We, her colleagues and friends, miss her, but we look forward to the time when we will meet her again on that bright morning when there will be no more sickness, pain, death and parting.