Martin "Marty" John Tyillian

Martin “Marty” John Tyillian of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, died peacefully on Monday, May 20th at 9:00 pm after a brief time in hospital following a stroke. He was 66.

Martin was born on February 8, 1958 in Sharon, Pennsylvania, a son of George and Mary Amelia (née Meier) Tyillian of Hermitage, Pennsylvania. 

He was a graduate of Hickory High School and Penn State University.

Martin was an artist and a visionary. His decades long career as a Wallpaper and Painting specialist gave him opportunity to leave his creative mark all over the Shenango Valley and well beyond. From a small bathroom to an entire steel mill or even a drag-line crane, no job was too small or too large to receive his meticulous workmanship. Hobby projects included pottery, glass blowing, and giving new life to old furniture through creative touches such as painting flowers or beach scenes on them. Many area houses feature a piece or two specially crafted by him. 

Marty was always looking to make people feel welcome with open doors, some great food, a cold beer, and good music playing in the background. He invested in people. He believed that people were deserving of friendship and help and love. He could often be found at one his favorite local haunts spending time with all of his friends, manning the jukebox, and even helping out to make sure everyone was having a great time. 

He loved to get out and be present in the world around him. He traveled extensively around the United States to visit all of the beauty the country has to offer - and always by car. There was no point in flying if you could road trip where you wanted to go! He loved spending time riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and even completed a long run down to Key West with his friends. His passion for travel, adventure, and new experiences was infectious and inspirational to everyone around him.

In later years, Marty devoted his time to tending the grounds of the famous Buhl Mansion, where he once again unleashed his creative talent and ushered in a new era of beauty in the gardens surrounding the house. He also began to restore a country cottage where he hoped to one day retire in the peace of the woods. 

Marty was a great man. Truly one of a kind. He will always be remembered by the myriad of souls that he touched and undoubtedly made smile in doing so. 

He is survived by his mother, Mary Amelia Tyillian; a daughter, Amy Lee Baj and her husband Adam; a son, Jon Thomas Tyillian and his partner Ricardo; his former spouse and mother of his children, Karen Sue Gavala; a sister, Susan M. Piccirilli and her husband Michael and their son, Andrew; a brother, Gregory J. Tyillian; a brother, Timothy G. Tyillian and his wife, Julie, and their children Chandler and Chloe; and Gerard M. Tyillian and his wife, Melissa, and their children Daniel (and his wife, Abby) and Stephen. 

Martin was preceded in death by his father, George Tyillian, his nephew, Chase Tyillian, son of Timothy and Julie Tyillian, and Scott Thompson, partner to Gregory Tyillian. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Marty’s memory to Heart Research at the American Heart Association or to the Arts Programming at the Hope Center for Arts and Technology in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

A private ceremony will be held for immediate family members on Friday May 24, 2024. 

In lieu of traditional calling hours, a Celebration of Life cookout will be held in mid-June with date, location, and time to be announced in the coming week. All are welcome to come together to celebrate the life of an amazing individual in the way he would have wanted - with good food, good friends, and some revelry! Bikers are welcome to ride in and those that wish to share pictures and memories are asked email those items to martysbigparty@gmail.com by June 10th to be included in a memory wall that will be displayed at the cookout. Please use the above address for further inquiries. 

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