Tyson Rex Koon

Tyson Rex (Tri-Pod) Koon, 42, of St. Anthony died Monday morning, Dec. 16, 2024, in the ICU at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, surrounded by family and friends.

Tyson was born Aug. 16, 1982, in Idaho Falls, the fourth of four children of Kip William and Cathy Powell Koon. He attended St. Anthony schools and graduated from South Fremont High School with the Class of 2000, the first to spend all their high school years in the new building.

His high school friends dubbed him Tri-Pod, in recognition of all he accomplished despite the deformity of his left hand. He never let that stop him or slow him down. They also called him the instigator, because if there was an opportunity for fun or prank, he was usually the leader of the pack.

After graduation, he spent 16 years in the food industry. He cooked at the Press Box in Pocatello, was a server at Johnny Carino’s in Idaho Falls and was a server, bartender and banquet captain for Maggiano’s Little Italy in Denver. He was named their Employee of the Year in 2009.

Tyson went to work for Solar City in May 2014, installing solar panels, and worked his way quickly to crew manager. Solar City was bought out by Tesla, and he continued working there until 2021. He installed more solar panels than any other employee in a year at Tesla in 2016. His crew was accident free.

For two years while working full time at Tesla and part time at Maggiano’s, he attended Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, Colorado. He received a degree in construction supervision with two certificates in photovoltaic and project management

When he moved back to Idaho in 2021, he worked for Red Arrow Construction in St. Anthony as a framer and laborer, responsible for job layout, framing and structural details, and job site safety.

Tyson said his greatest achievement wasn’t his work history. It was his sons.

Korbin-Adams Koon was born Sept. 7, 2006, in Pocatello, to Tyson and Hailee Adams.

It was in Pocatello that a woman from his past re-entered his life. He and Errin Reece of Colorado were married in 2011, and he moved with her to Colorado. Korbin stayed in Pocatello with his mother but spent summers and holidays with his dad. Grayson William Koon was born Sept. 15,2015, and Kaeden Travis followed Oct. 22, 2020.

Tyson returned to Idaho after filing for divorce in 2021. It broke his heart and his spirit to leave his sons in Colorado, a wound that never healed. Korbin moved to St. Anthony to live with his dad and finish school at South Fremont.

Tyson started his own construction company, Mountain Top Builders, and a property management company called TBD Holdings. He also invested in BFAM Transport LLC, the company of a good friend, Matthew (Tiny) Jarvis.

Tyson wanted to build affordable housing and to get involved in the community.

He went before the St. Anthony City Council in August to ask that the diving board at the Sand Bar, which had collapsed into the river, be replaced. The council agreed, and Tyson organized a campaign to raise the money for a diving board and concrete work.

Sports were a big part of his life. He started with T-Ball at age 3, playing for Lila Gold. He was technically too young to play, but Lila insisted. He played his entire life, earning his varsity letter in baseball, as well as basketball and football. His senior year he was recruited to the track team to compete at district.

In 2022, he and his sister, Terra, played together for the first time in a co-ed softball tournament in Salmon, where they took the championship. He traveled to Missoula, Montana, the past summer to compete in the 2024 Treasure State Superdraft tournament.

Team sponsor Rachel Voss posted on Facebook, “Tyson was my dude, a true force of nature. I was always in awe of his incredible talent — no one could catch a ball like he could, and then remove his glove, switch hands quickly and accurately throw the ball in. Everyone who met him was in awe at what he did, not even aware of his hand. I’ll never forget our time in Missoula, sharing a BnB (with the entire team) during the tournament. Watching him run as the speed goat, completing at least “230” miles in a single day, filled me with admiration and exhaustion. Tyson had a spirit that was truly unmatched, and he inspired everyone around him.”

Tyson always said the word “can’t” was not in his vocabulary, and he taught that to his boys.

Tyson was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but he fell away from the church after graduation. He believed in a higher power but not organized religion.

Tyson is survived by his sons Korbin, Grayson and Kaeden; his parents, Kip Koon of Hibbard and Cathy Koon of St. Anthony; siblings Melissa Marie (Robert) Oldham and Travis Koon, all of St. Anthony, and Terra (Cody) Farmer of Kuna, Idaho, and three nephews, Kaleb and Nathan Farmer, and Mason Hinckley.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Rex and Verona Powell, and Vance and Elna Koon; an aunt, Danette Powell, and an uncle, Bryan Floyd Powell.

Funeral services will be held at the St. Anthony LDS Stake Center on Friday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. The family will receive friends that day from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. at the stake center. Disposition for Tyson following the services will be cremation.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the St. Anthony Diving Board fund or a charity of your choice. To donate, go to https://square.link/u/wZwawzxd.

If you or anyone you know needs help, the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline can be accessed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling (208) 398-4357. Or you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255.

Tyson was a registered organ donor, and a team from Donor Connect in Murray, Utah, was at the hospital to guide his family through the process. Tyson’s heart stopped at 9:31 on Dec. 16, making the organ donation impossible. They did harvest tissues that will help save lives.