Maine lobsterman misplaced at sea remembered for dedication to household and pals
A Steuben teenager and lobsterman was collectively remembered for his optimistic perspective, wisecracks, blue eyes and bushy eyebrows when a number of hundred individuals gathered Sunday for a memorial service in a Sullivan college gymnasium.
Almost a month after Tylar Michaud, 18, went lacking at sea whereas hauling lobster traps — and roughly 10 weeks after he graduated from Sumner Memorial Excessive Faculty — Michaud’s prolonged household, pals and members of the neighborhood gathered for a celebration of his life on the college.
A number of of Michaud’s lobster buoys — tapered foam cylinders painted inexperienced with a white band across the center — adorned the college health club and hallways in the course of the service. Contained in the health club, two massive video show screens on both facet of a podium scrolled by way of photographs of Michaud fishing, looking, mugging for the digicam, taking part in baseball and posing with pals.
Michaud’s humorousness, dedication to his household and pals, and his love of the outside figured prominently of their remarks.
His father, Ron Michaud, mentioned Tylar Michaud was launched to outside pursuits on household fishing journeys he went on at a younger age. In the course of the service, Ron Michaud was carrying a inexperienced and white striped necktie, as have been Tylar Michaud’s uncles, grandfather and different male relations, in homage to his son’s lobster buoy colours.
“Searching and fishing is a part of our household,” Ron Michaud mentioned. “That’s what obtained him began.”
Tylar Michaud wasn’t shy. His uncle Jake Hanna recounted a narrative of Michaud loading a desk into the again of Hanna’s truck on a busy Bangor avenue throughout a household outing, and the way visitors was blocked for a couple of minutes whereas they lifted the desk into place.
As they completed and simply earlier than Michaud gave his uncle a hug, {the teenager} gave “one-fingered salutes” in both path on the busy avenue at motorists who have been irritated at being delayed, Hanna mentioned, laughing by way of his tears.
Pals of Michaud who graduated with him from Sumner this previous spring informed tales about Michaud mildly pushing boundaries, however all the time doing it in a manner that made individuals chortle. He as soon as known as one pal to ask permission to cease by to make use of the toilet at her home, although he was already strolling as much as the entrance door. And earlier this summer season he despatched a condolences card to a different feminine pal’s soon-to-be school roommate for having to dwell together with her.
“It didn’t matter how lengthy or how properly he knew you,” one pal, Rachel Colby, mentioned. “He would all the time go away you with a smile in your face.”
Michaud had deliberate to attend Maine Maritime Academy in Castine this fall. Charles Kelley, a lobster fisherman and Michaud’s pastor, mentioned the final time he noticed Michaud, the teeanger had shaved his head. Some have been impressed with Michaud’s blue eyes, Kelley mentioned, however having no hair actually made Michaud’s bushy black eyebrows stand out.
“‘I’m going to Maine Maritime and I figured I’d beat them to the punch and get used to it,’” Kelley mentioned, quoting Michaud about why he shaved his head. “Tylar was as likable as they arrive. I do know I’ll see these eyebrows once more some day.”
