Tyler Hynes, 40, traveled back to his hometown in Russell, Ontario, Canada, to honor his father, Tony Hynes, in a celebration of life after he passed away in April.
Hynes documented his emotional visit in an Instagram post, where he opened up about his life growing up.
The Hallmark actor, whose father died just one month shy of his 70th birthday, shared a video of himself driving on the backroads of his country town with his dad’s ashes in the backseat.
While back home, Hynes visited spots where he had some of his most memorable moments, including where he had his first kiss, his childhood best friend’s house, the grade school he attended, and the last place he saw his father.
Hynes walked the grounds where he used to play as a kid during recess. He pointed to the exact place where he got in trouble for PDA, leading to his very first detention. He also showed the pavement where he used to play kickball.
Tyler Hynes Reflects on His Life Journey
Hynes joked about driving the backroads of his hometown as a teenager in his first car: a “gas-guzzling ‘76 Chevy Nova.” He reflected on how far he’s come since leaving his roots behind to chase — and accomplish — his acting dreams.
“And now I’m here,” he gratefully expressed. “Life is beautiful.”
Hynes continued to open up in his Instagram caption about the memory of his dad and what it was like as a child to experience his best “first moments.”
“Firsts. Lasts. Hold onto the little things.. These moments are lovely and fleeting. I found myself driving and ending up in places I haven’t seen in years,” he wrote. “Wasn’t until later that I thought that these little clips I filmed, for I don’t know why, might tell a story of a moment that others might relate to. It’s the textures more than the events themselves that help me remember.”
“Putting my father’s very heavy ashes in the back seat of his old beat up convertible and putting the top down,” he continued. “Something he’d do shirtless. …l’ve inherited this technique.”
“I’ve always loved returning to things in my mind. Perhaps a lifetime in a job where it’s nature demands reflection,” Hynes added. “The textures of this moment will last. Funny that @lucidmotors will forever be apart of it. Take in the details, they’ll help you find your way back. When you need to.”
Hynes went on to write that since the death of his dad, he’s experienced life through an extraordinarily new lens.
“The last couple months have been rich and vivid in a lot of ways and I thank everyone for your kindnesses,” he shared. “I hope this post finds you in the right way do 🙏🏽🤍.”
Tyler Hynes Thankful for His Dad’s Guidance
When Hynes announced his father’s death on what would have been his 70th birthday on May 11, he thanked his dad for instilling his greatest qualities in him as a child. The actor, who has become one of the most cast and adored stars of Hallmark, noted that without his dad’s guidance, he couldn’t have become the man whom millions know and love today.
“On the morning of April 29th I was left with a boundless amount of love and admiration for a man who gave me an endless amount of what made him, him that has inevitably made me, me,” Hynes stated on Instagram. “I now have an understanding of what all this is. I understand now that I wasn’t left at all. Tony Hynes. May 11th 1956 – forever, through me and the ones I’ll one day leave behind. For me, there is before this moment and after. I love you. And will always miss you dad.”
