William Tyler Lohrke

After a long, hard-fought battle with amyloidosis, William Tyler Lohrke (Tyler) peacefully passed away on February 16th, 2025. Tyler was an energetic, loving, and caring person who touched many people's lives throughout his own.

Born in Orange, NJ, to Nancy and Otto Lohrke, he later moved with his family to Santa Barbara, California, where he attended La Colina Junior High School and graduated from San Marcos High School in 1975. Tyler had two older sisters but was rich in brothers, having formed lifelong friendships during those school years. The Santa Barbara days were filled with what he loved most: spending time with friends, listening to Bob Marley and The Beatles, watching sunsets and sunrises, enjoying BBQs, hiking, playing sports, and visiting More Mesa Beach.

His friends remember him as caring, intelligent, athletic, tough, witty, driven, and, most importantly, funny! In high school, his friends gave him the nickname “Zeke,” a name he proudly shared with his father.

Tyler was a lover of education. After high school, he attended Santa Barbara City College and Pacific University, where he also played football. He later attended Lewis and Clark College, where he continued his education in psychology. While living in Oregon, Tyler spent his free time (or “church,” as he would call it) on the Deschutes River, fly fishing for steelhead or hunting for pheasants with his beloved golden retriever, Alba. The Deschutes became his favorite place, and he made sure to return to the river religiously later in life, eventually passing on his love for fly fishing and all things outdoors to his son.

Tyler moved to Hailey after his son was born and stayed to raise him. He loved this valley—its people and the lifestyle that perfectly matched his already active one. Tyler spent his free time mountain biking the Blaine County trails, skiing on Baldy, running the bike path and Quigley trails, coaching his son in numerous sports, bird hunting the canyons, and fly fishing the Salmon and Wood River with his friends and family.

Tyler was a respected and accomplished drug and alcohol counselor in the Wood River Valley, helping many people achieve sobriety and a new way of life. He also proudly held 40+ years of unwavering sobriety.

Tyler is survived by his sisters, Pamela Johnson and Kate Bennet; his son, Connor Lohrke; and his son’s half-brother, Dustin Rainey, whom he considered a son in many ways.

Thank you to his wonderful friends who visited Tyler while he was sick. You gave him happiness, hope, and a reprieve from his illness. Thank you to those who supported him and his son when he first became ill, helping them manage all the new changes. Lastly, thank you to the compassionate staff at the Cove of Cascadia, who cared for him when his family could not.