Tyler Brown-Cross

Tyler Brown-Cross was born on May 15, 1986, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to her parents Charles Cross and Laurie Brown-Cross. Tyler passed away suddenly on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at the age of 39, much to the shock and devastation of everyone who knew her.

Tyler has been lovingly described by her professors, ballet instructors, and friends. Many people said she gave more than she took—she was a genuinely good person, caring, generous, principled, and she gave of herself through her faith.

She joined the Catholic Church about seven years ago. Initially, Tyler considered becoming a nun, volunteering at St. Mary by the Sea in Cape May. She later decided theology would be her academic pursuit.

She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, studying at both Ursinus and Bryn Mawr, as a McBride Scholar. Tyler then pursued her Master of Arts degree at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Upon completion of that program, she attended Villanova University, working towards a Doctorate of Theology, focusing on Biblical interpretation and Christian spirituality. She was looking forward to becoming a theology professor.

Concurrently, in March 2025, Tyler became a Perpetually Professed Member of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic.

She was equally passionate about pursuing the arts. Tyler studied classical ballet at Koresh Dance Company, Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Brandywine Ballet, and Glorify. She was also a gifted painter, creating works solely of a religious nature.

Tyler was a kind and gentle woman of beauty, taste, and discernment. She nurtured many interests and loved her Lord. Tyler shared this love with her family and her Maine Coon cats, Virgil, Mozart, and Augustine. She adored her four nieces and nephews, Charli, Rory, Jackson, and Grayson, who would always ask at family gatherings, “When is Tyler coming?!!” She always brought gifts, each wrapped with meticulous care, and handmade embellishments too pretty to open. Everything Tyler touched—whether a cupcake decorated with a handmade sugar flower or a heartfelt sentiment inside a handmade card—was graced by her delicate touch. She made you feel special.

Tyler was also a gifted writer. She annually read her PhD theological submissions, traveling to cities around the country to do so. Her topics were unique, shaped by her many talents and interests, often reflected in her papers.

Tyler found joy in sharing her Catholic faith, recently bringing her parents into the faith. This was her special charism that shone through as Tyler began working as a missionary disciple through the Villanova SCHEAP program, recently holding a church community event at Old Saint Joseph’s Church in Philadelphia.

Tyler was elegant, vibrant, graceful, and sweet. She truly lived out her faith “through love, service, and community.” May she be at peace with her Lord.

Tyler is survived by her parents and her siblings, Whitney (William J.), their children Jackson and Grayson, her brother Chad Cross (Dori), their children Charli and Rory, and her many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Tyler was predeceased by her cousin, Christopher Sonzogni.

Friends and relatives are invited to Tyler’s funeral Mass on August 1, 2025, at St. Katherine of Siena, 104 S. Aberdeen Avenue, Wayne, PA. Visitation begins at 10:00 AM, followed by the funeral Mass at 11:00 AM. Interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery, 2025 Old Gulph Road, Villanova, PA, with a luncheon to follow at St. Davids Golf Club, 845 Radnor Street Road, Wayne, PA.