Funeral, Celebration Of Life Set For Tuscaloosa Council President Kip Tyner

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Funeral and memorial services have been announced for longtime Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner, who died Friday at age 70.

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A funeral for Tyner will be held Friday, Sept. 25, at Tuscaloosa Memorial Chapel, which is located at 5434 Old Birmingham Highway.

Public visitation will be held from noon until 2 p.m., followed by a chapel service at 2 p.m. This will be followed by a graveside service will follow.

The City of Tuscaloosa will also host a public Celebration of Life and Service for Tyner on Monday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. at the fountain at Alberta Park, which can be found at 2710 University Boulevard East.

The city said the event will honor Tyner's legacy and decades of service to Tuscaloosa, particularly the Alberta community he represented on the City Council.

The celebration is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the city's Facebook page.

The city says University Boulevard East will close at 5:50 p.m. Monday between 25th Avenue East and Durrett Grove, also known as 28th Avenue East, and will remain closed for the duration of the event.

Tyner was first elected to represent District 5 in 1997 and was serving his seventh consecutive term on the council and his second as council president when he died.

His nearly three decades in office were closely associated with Alberta, including the community's rebuilding and redevelopment following the April 27, 2011, tornado.

The city has credited Tyner with championing projects including the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center, improvements along University Boulevard East and Juanita Drive, and the recruitment of SWJ Technology. He was also a longtime advocate for animal welfare and chaired the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.

As Patch previously reported, the Tuscaloosa City Council is preparing to fill the District 5 seat left vacant by Tyner's death.

The council is expected to formally call a special election on Oct. 6, with city officials anticipating Election Day will be held before the end of the year.

No timetable has been given regarding when the council will vote on a new city council president.

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