Bryce Traylor

Bryce Traylor, born October 21, 1953 in Utah, and a lifetime resident of Decatur, Alabama died peacefully at home on Monday, May 8, 2023.

Though born in Utah, Bryce was raised in and around Decatur, Alabama by his loving parents.  Decatur is also where he began a 30 year career at Wolverine Tube, married, and became a father.

At Wolverine, Bryce worked as a machinist. He took pride in his work and enjoyed helping others learn the trade. His spare time was joyfully dedicated to his family, with whom he shared his love of the outdoors, motorcycles, tools, and his Jeeps.

Following retirement, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends, working on anything with which he could help.

He dedicated his spare time to fishing Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick, Guntersville, and Smith Lakes, hunting for deer and turkey and being a lifelong learner tinkering and building things in his amazing workshop.

Affectionately known as "Pa-Paw" by his grandchildren, he loved fishing, hunting, a good story (preferably a long-winded fishing or hunting tale), spending time with his family, friends, and dogs (Annie, Ruger, and Booger), and all things outdoors. He was a dedicated outdoorsman with a passion for, and a unique connection to nature, especially white-tailed deer and fish of all species and sizes. He often sought out opportunities to voluntarily share and teach his knowledge and love of the outdoors to others. Bryce was consistently generous with his time, wisdom, and resources.

Bryce was also the salt of the earth. His core was rooted in honor, integrity, kindness, selflessness, compassion, generosity, gratitude, and uplifting others. He valued hard work, a firm handshake, treating others with respect, meaning what you say, admitting your mistakes and
learning from them, keeping your word, and doing the right thing.

In the more recent years spent in his workshop, ever accompanied by his beloved Chocolate Labrador, Annie, and surrounded by a lifetime of well-earned deer and fish mounts as well as turkey fans he thoughtfully and carefully created.  The workshop is where Bryce designed and crafted wooden coat racks with rifle shells, shadow box memorabilia frames, model cars, and beautiful hand carved walking sticks. This creativity brought him joy, but gifting these items to those he loved meant even more. 

This is because for Bryce, behind his unforgettable bright blue eyes, it was always "all about the memories".  Future memories he envisioned you making with something he made by hand for you. Memories made over countless hunting seasons atop his beloved mountain, scouting deer, turkeys, and more with his wife and best friend, Angela. Memories made raising his sons, encouraging their own interests, teaching them about life, love and friendship, what is truly important, the outdoors, how to find the right rod and reel for which fish, and how to fix just about anything. Memories made with his grandchildren, reading books, teaching them about animals, giving them big bear hugs, sending them videos "hunting wabbits" from his deer stand, playing catch, solving puzzles, drawing animals, watching them learn to swim, and much more. Memories made with family and friends over the course of a lifetime filled with deep and meaningful conversations, companionship, and adventures.

He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, with an enormous heart full of love for all of his family and friends.  He was blessed to spend his life with an incredible and supportive companion, his wife Angela, with whom he shared his life-long connection to
the outdoors as well as countless adventures in the woods and on the water.

While the last decade of his life was challenging, Bryce remained hopeful, undeniably strong, and resilient as he battled and endured a myriad of health problems including eventual confinement to a wheelchair after a sudden accident. Still, he woke up every morning to fight
another day and to make another memory, not just for himself but for others. While getting out on the water became an impossibility, he never stopped hunting, even harvesting multiple deer and turkey from his wheelchair. 

No matter the circumstances, Bryce had a steadfast remarkable ability to appear almost unbreakable while simultaneously being one of the most kind, patient, precious, loving, and caring men the world could ever hope to know. Traits that he undoubtedly inherited from his
gracious parents and grandparents, that he then passed on to his family, and which will now be carried forward for generations to come.

While Bryce will be deeply missed, we are grateful that he is now freed from his earthly bonds and burdens and has reached the other side. A Fisherman's Prayer says in part: "I humbly pray, when in God's landing net I am peacefully asleep, that in his mercy I will be judged as good
enough to keep." For Bryce, we know his heavenly sights are straight, his aim is true, it will be "fish on" whenever he casts his lines, and that in life he will be in the thereafter -- forever a keeper and he will rest "where rainbows never die."

Bryce was preceded in death by his parents, Jewell Aubrey Traylor and Helen Frances Parrent Traylor as well as his brother, Larry Traylor. He is survived by a large extended family, including his wife Angela Traylor, his sons Shane Traylor (Cameron) and Brian Mills (Melissa), four grandchildren Riley Mills, Evan Mills, Whiting Traylor, and Gweneth Traylor, as well as many valued and dear friends.
 

A private family celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

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Peck Funeral Home                   
1600 Hwy 31 SW
P.O. Box 427
Hartselle, AL  35640
256.773.2541
256.773.2543 (Fax)

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