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OBITUARIES
The following is edited from a tribute to Tyler Ugolyn ’01 that was written by family and friends and appeared in his local newspaper, The Ridgefield (Conn.) Press. Tall, good-looking, with a laugh that made others laugh with
him, Tyler Ugolyn ’01 led by example and turned his talent
for sports into a vehicle to help others. The 1997 graduate of
Ridgefield (Conn.) High School, a committed basketball star who
earned his way to Columbia College as an athlete and a scholar,
died at 23 on September 11, a victim of the World Trade Center
attack. Tyler, or “Ty” as he was affectionately known, was
the son of Victor and Diane Ugolyn. Born on August 7, 1978, in
Springfield, Mass., his basketball skill led him to be rated as one
of the top 275 high school seniors in the country by Prep Stars
Recruiter’s Handbook during his senior year. He was named
to First Team All Area and FCIAC Division. In addition, he was
nominated to the 1997 McDonald’s High School All-American
Team and received honorable mention recognition from the adidas
Blue Ribbon Handbook. Although Tyler was co-captain of his varsity basketball team and
also played varsity tennis and JV baseball, he took his studies
very seriously. He was an honors student at Ridgefield H.S. and a
member of the National Honor Society. He was active in Safe Rides,
Young Life, Key Club, Future Business Leaders and Big Brothers Big
Sisters. He also was a student-athlete representative for Parent to
Parent, selected by the high school to discuss with parents of
incoming freshmen how to balance academics with athletics. A patriotic person, Tyler was one of four students awarded an
internship to attend a summer week in Washington, D.C., to work
with local and national government representatives. His essay on
the Bill of Rights won recognition by the Library of Congress and
the State of Connecticut in a national social studies
competition. An economics major at Columbia, Tyler continued his involvement
on and off the court. Hampered by injuries, he ended his varsity
basketball career in his junior year and channeled his energy into
other activities. For his fraternity, Kappa Delta Rho, Tyler served
as vice president, secretary and Webmaster. A devout Catholic who attended Mass regularly and had a natural
leadership quality, Tyler became one of the founding members of
Columbia Catholic Athletes. He initiated and ran an inner-city
youth basketball league for Harlem children, was active in the
annual Columbia Outreach program and was a soup kitchen volunteer
in Harlem. He became a Eucharistic Minister and served as a sponsor for a
friend who converted to Catholicism. He also participated as a
Columbia representative, along with students from Poland, Spain,
Argentina and Italy, in a transatlantic televised prayer service
with Pope John Paul II to pray the Rosary in Latin for world
peace. Tyler was never afraid to show his strong faith or his family
commitment. His friends at Ridgefield and Columbia called him a
self-assured, fun-loving guy who always found even the simplest
things entertaining. “He was a presence,” said one
friend. “No, he was his own presence. He was an inspiration
to be around. He was the centerpiece.” The September 24, 2001 issue of Sports Illustrated
featured a tribute to Tyler, “Picture This Perfect –
Tyler Ugolyn went from being a face on a missing person flier to a
friend you wish you’d met.” Our Lady of Fatima, his
middle school, dedicated its flagpole in his memory, and Ridgefield
High retired his basketball jersey No. 34 and hung it on the gym
wall next to the American flag. He loved Columbia, New York City, the Yankees and his 1992 GMC
Typhoon. “Tyler lived a beautiful life with great
friends,” said his father. “He worked hard and played
hard, touching so many people, and his legacy will live on through
them.” The program at Tyler’s memorial service contained his
thoughts about a poem he wrote where he said, “There are
things that every person carries with them that they wish they
could have changed if they had a chance or could have been
different all together. Mistakes will be made by everyone but must
be accepted and not dwelled upon. Just living your life in the
present is the best thing to do. There is nothing you can do about
the things that have already happened, but the things in the future
are for you to decide.”
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