Loss of a folk friend

  Yesterday the local community - folk community included - saw a friend laid to rest.  
Pi-Hsiah Chiang Tyler was interned outside Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Dec 15 in the afternoon. 

  Many of you may know that quite a few Prism Coffeehouse artists benefited from Pi-Hsiah's [PEE-shah] support through the offer of rooms - at cost - at the motels that Pi-Hsiah and her husband Chris Tyler ran over the years.  This was done w/ little fanfare, and the Tylers have 
continued this support for visitors to the local music scene, such as my teacher Cheick Hamala Diabate, when asked, even now that the Prism is closed.  

  The crowd at Emmanuel Episcopal was one of the most diverse I've seen herebouts.  There were plenty of Chinese-Americans, blacks and whites, too.  Pi-Hsiah had lots of 
friends, from all walks of life.  
  Pete and Ellen Vigour supplied most of the music for the service.  
  
  Pi-Hsiah's children spoke, though their remarks were just forming and incomplete. 
  She was killed suddenly in a traffic accident that has left her family shaken.  I spoke briefly to Chris yesterday after the internment, and I think he would appreciate any gesture the folk dept at WTJU could make; a word before a tune on your show this week or at year's end, a story of a favorite Prism concert.  

  The Tylers currently own and operate the Red Carpet Inn on US 29N. 

thanks, 
Bruce Penner 
Radio Tropicale