Obituary of Timothy Michael Tykolis
Timothy (Tim) Michael Tykolis, of Stevensville, Ontario, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on February 23, 2026. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, nephew, uncle and community leader. Tim was known for his dedication to his family and community, his entrepreneurial spirit, and for always living life to its fullest. He is survived by his loving wife Kim, sons Stephen (Danielle) and Cole (Isabelle), granddaughter Sophie and mother-in-law Lise O’Neill. He is also survived by his siblings Richard Tykolis (Lois), Diane Mathes, Terry Tykolis (Nena), Patricia Tykolis, Marianne Tykolis-Casey (Stephen), Stephanie Tykolis (Rich) and sisters-in-law Lynn Melna (Chuck), and Brenda O’Neill (David). A cherished uncle, he is sadly missed by his many nieces and nephews. He was pre deceased by his godson and nephew Liam (2017). He is also pre deceased by his parents Stephen and Yolande (nee Garand) Tykolis and his father-in-law Daniel O’Neill. He is fondly remembered by friends Vaughn Bryant, Jim Noake and is reunited with Paul Twidle (2019). Tim was born on October 27, 1959 in Fort Erie, Ontario. He grew up in Stevensville and attended Ridgeway Crystal Beach High School. Tim met Kim in 1993, and together they shared 31 blessed years of marriage. He was a devoted husband and father who recently became a proud first-time grandfather. Tim began working at a young age for his father who founded Stevensville Lawn Service and Stevensville Garden Gallery. Tim and his siblings Terry and Marianne assumed ownership of the family businesses and co-founded Safari Niagara in memory of their father, transforming a private hobby farm into a 150-acre nature park and zoo in Stevensville. As General Manager from the park’s opening in 2002 until his retirement in 2023, Tim led the facility with vision, managing the teams responsible for operations, animal care, and guest experiences. Under Tim’s leadership, Safari Niagara achieved accreditation from Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA), welcomed rare and endangered species, and became a cherished destination in Niagara. During his tenure Safari Niagara received the Niagara Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Tourism Enterprise category. Colleagues, employees, and visitors alike admired Tim for his dedication, leadership, and the heart he brought to the park’s success over two decades. In 2022, Tim was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Despite the challenges of surgeries and ongoing chemotherapy, he remained determined to live fully. He shared his journey publicly, raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research through a Movember campaign, inspiring many with his courage, humour, and resilience. Even after retiring, Tim’s adventurous spirit never waned. As well as being a long-time Harley Davidson enthusiast, he and Kim traveled extensively in their RV over the past two years with their dog Marty, embracing life to the fullest and experiencing as many sunsets as they could. Tim loved the freedom of the open road, the thrill of adventure, and sharing laughs with friends and family along the way. Tim’s legacy lives on through the family business he helped build and nurture, and the countless lives he touched. He will be dearly missed for his warmth, humour, kindness, and humility by family, friends, colleagues, and the wider community. The family would like to thank Dr. Dath and team at Juravinski Hospital, Dr. Yelamanchili and team at Walker Cancer Centre, a special thank you to Danielle, Kim and Sarah for always making him smile as well as Dr. Marchi and Dr. Scher and Sue for all their care and compassion. In lieu of flowers, donations in Tim’s memory may be made to Wellspring Niagara or Wildlife Preservation Canada. A visitation will commence at Williams Funeral Services, 722 Ridge Rd N, Ridgeway on Friday, February 27 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday February 28 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Stevensville.
