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Tyler Kotewa

FAIRMONT — A Celebration of Life service for Tyler G. Kotewa, 25, of Fairmont, Minn., will be 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, 2016, at the United Methodist Church in Fairmont. A private family burial will take place at a later date.

Tyler passed away Wednesday morning, Dec. 7, 2016, in Mankato after a courageous battle with cancer. Visitation will be from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont, and one hour prior to the service Monday at the church. Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Fairmont is assisting the family with arrangements.

Tyler Gene Kotewa, son of Chantal Heetland and Tracy Kotewa made his first public appearance on May 12, 1991, at the Olmsted County Hospital in Rochester, Minn. He began his path to stardom attending the Fairmont Public School System where he brightened the lives of everyone he met. At the tender age of 11, Tyler and some of his rock star friends started making loud noises in the basements and garages of their parents. This love of music and celebrating that love with friends and family would blossom into the band, Evasive Maneuver.

In 2009, Tyler graduated from Fairmont High School and looked forward to the next great adventure in life. He quickly learned that the life of a budding musician was filled with all sorts of uncertainty so he took his love for mathematics and began his college career attending St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. He would go on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and had recently completed his master’s in education from Augsburg College. When not playing gigs or putting together an awesome jam session, Ty could be found sharing his love of math with the eager minds of the students of Southwest High School in Southwest Minneapolis where he was a student teacher.

While barreling down life’s crazy road over six years ago, Ty met Cassie Urban. Together the couple lived life to the fullest, enjoying summers spent on the lake, slow dancing in their living room, watching Netflix all day long, and nights spent in cooking for each other. Family was extremely important to Ty and anyone he considered a friend was instantly welcomed into his extended family. He had a magnetic smile and loved being the center of attention. His graduating class voted him most likely to be on a reality TV show.

Ty was an extremely passionate person and took pride in mastering any skill. At the age of 3, Ty learned to water ski and whether it was playing music, playing pool, or any other task that he took on, Ty put in 100 percent to master those skills and wanted to be perfect at them. His love of the outdoors was evident as his “fallback” occupation was working for Thate Tree Service. Cassie knew she was in trouble when they would go for walks and Ty would begin to quiz her on the types of trees they were walking by.

Ty loved life and despite being so young, lived well beyond his years. He has left his mark on all those who were blessed to know him. In the words of the great Bob Dylan, “May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift, may you have a strong foundation, when the winds of changes shift, may your heart always be joyful and may your song always be sung, may you stay forever young, forever young, forever young. May you stay forever young.”

Left to cherish his memory are his parents, Chantal Heetland and her husband, Chris Kunst of Mankato, Minn., and Tracy Kotewa and his wife, Jessi, of Fairmont, Minn.; ever loving step-father, Joe Thate; siblings, Jackson Thate, Faith Kotewa, Grace Kotewa, Chase Kunst, Chaylee Kunst, Carson Kunst, and Chloe Kunst; grandparents, Jo Godden-Ford, Butch and Rita Heetland, Barb Kotewa and Bob Altman, Ken and Mary Kotewa, and Bob and Diane Neusch; his life partner, Cassie Urban; Cassie’s mother, Connie Urban; as well as many aunts, uncles, extended family and friends.

Ty was preceded in death by his grandfather, Gary Godden; and a sister, Josephene “Joey” Kotewa.

The family requests memorials be given in Ty’s name to the St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.

www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net

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