Tyler James Ahrens

Tyler Ahrens, beloved son, grandson, brother, boyfriend, and friend, passed away on June 26, 2023. He was born in New Mexico and was raised in Los Alamos, NM where he attended Los Alamos Public Schools and, recently, the University of New Mexico. His family and friends are deeply saddened by his passing.

Tyler was an artist at heart and appreciated art in many forms: fine art, graphic novels, anime, games, playing card design, architecture, and interior design.  He sketched and drew pictures on the cards he gave to family members; his favorite holiday was Valentine’s Day.  He loved the outdoors.  He hiked Los Alamos trails, rode his scooter at the skate park, mountain biked, and snowboarded at Pajarito.  He had dreams of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and was reading all about it. He relished being in the water and spending time at a lake or rafting on a river. Tyler was an avid player of Magic the Gathering and appreciated the artistry, themes, metaphors, and strategy of the game, as well as the community of players.  Even when traveling, he would find a local card shop and join in playing the game. Tyler loved music and recently began to follow his favorite bands to festivals across the Southwest. He was inspired and was beginning to write his own songs as well.

He was a loving son and brother, and a caring friend and boyfriend. Every time his family came together he organized his siblings to play his favorite card games together – he treasured the times when all four siblings were home. He also enjoyed working with children as a caregiver at daycare centers in Los Alamos.  He would always play superheroes with the kids and took the time to make each child a drawing of a dinosaur of their choice.

He is survived by his parents Christine Sweeney and James Ahrens, his twin brother Connor Ahrens, siblings Willow and Daniel Ahrens, grandparents Paul and Helen Ahrens, grandfather James Sweeney, and girlfriend Valerie Pestovich.

A memorial service for Tyler will be held on July 6 at 1pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Los Alamos, followed by a burial at 2:45pm at Guaje Pines Cemetery in Los Alamos.

In memory of Tyler, donations can be made to a local organization that supports the care and/or development of children and youth, including their skills in the arts. Some examples are:

Las Cumbres Community Services: https://www.lascumbres-nm.org/donate

Fuller Lodge Art Center: https://www.losalamosartscouncil.org/partners-and-benefactors

Los Alamos Teen Center: https://laymca.org/donation

Please leave any condolences, favorite stories of Tyler, or photos for the family here.