Tayon Stray

Our Tayski, our beloved Tayon Stray, has stepped off this mortal coil to join the great jam session in the sky. Born on April 14, 2001, Tayon entered the world with a light in his eyes and rhythm in his soul. The Southside of Chicago has been a bit quieter since March 11, 2025, when our funny and adventurous Tayon began his celestial tour.

Tayon was the sort of charismatic fellow who'd enter a room and instantly crank up the volume. His laughter was infectious, his loyalty unshakable, and his spirit as dazzling as the city lights of his beloved Chicago. As his mother, Shavon, I can attest to the fact that he was as much a treasure to his family as he was to his fans. He was cherished by his siblings Da'Marion, J'Lanae, Reionna, Leo III, London, Cameren, and Maliyah, who were his biggest fans and his loudest critics.

In his short time with us, Tayon wore many hats - he was a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, and an uncle. But the hat that fit him best was that of a musician. His tunes were his heartbeat, his lyrics the script of his life. He lived and breathed for his music, sharing his tales of life and love through his rap. Now, he's gone ahead to book us the best seats in the house for his eternal gig.

Tayon, the inventory maestro at a travel business by day and a rap artist by night, was a man of many talents and numerous pursuits. He lived in Aurora, Naperville, West Chicago, and finally settled in his birth city, Chicago, because as Frank Sinatra crooned, "Chicago is his kind of town." He leaves behind his grandmothers Jayne Wilkerson and Barbara Reese, his grandfather Leo Tryon Sr., his uncles, and a host of family and friends. Welcoming him into the afterlife are his grandfather Darryl Stray, his great-grandmother Joan Davis-Hullett, his Aunt Romala Reed, and his cousin Roshaunda Reed.

As the great George Bernard Shaw said, "Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." So, let's remember Tayon with joy, laughter, and music. Let's celebrate his life as he would have wanted - with a beat in our hearts and a song on our lips.

Please, join us in leaving your memories, anecdotes, and photos of Tayon on the memorial page. Let's keep the music playing for our Tayski, for as long as we remember him, he is still here with us.