A Climber We Lost: Kyler Pallister

Each January we post a farewell tribute to those members of our community lost in the year just past. Some of the people you may have heard of, some not. All are part of our community and contributed to climbing.

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Kyler Pallister, 41, January 11

You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2023 here.

Kyler Pallister didn’t have to say a word to make a statement. His presence alone was a quiet influence. But when he did talk, it was worth a listen. Often, with just a few subtle, choice words, he’d leave you in tears of laughter.

As kind as he was soft-spoken and witty, Kyler was a talented climber and skier, and an invaluable contributor to the lab where he worked for nearly 15 years in Bozeman, Montana. Climbing partners and colleagues alike adored his mischievous streak and generosity of spirit.

“He possessed a magnetic, understated flair,” wrote one friend.

Born in Missoula, Montana, on December 18, 1981, to Chris and Jane Pallister, Kyler moved with his family to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1982, and graduated from Robert Service High School in 2000. He and his brothers, Erik and Ryan, grew up hiking, hunting and fishing, and as soon as they could drive, the boys began exploring on their own.

Kyler and Erik attended Montana State University together, driving back and forth to Alaska in their old Toyota Tundra, and traveling to climb in places like Yosemite, southern Utah, and eventually, abroad. Kyler excelled on rock, ice, and in the mountains, climbing many of the hardest routes in and around southwest Montana and contributing numerous first ascents.

“He followed a pure climbing path, answering to his own climbing itch,” wrote another friend. “He was the guy many of us loved to climb with, for he knew how to try hard, relax well, take it seriously when needed, and not too seriously that it would rob the fun.”

In 2007, Kyler received a bachelor’s in Biological Sciences, with an emphasis in Ecology and Evolution, from MSU. Shortly after graduation, he interned in an NIH-funded infectious disease lab at his alma mater, studying Staphylococcus aureus and human neutrophils. Naturally gifted at deductive reasoning and with an eye for detail, Kyler quickly became a research associate and eventually, lab manager. Over his career, he was author or co-author on over 20 peer-reviewed publications.

“Everybody knew him as this fabulous athlete, and I knew him as this fabulous mind,” said Jovanka Voyich, head of MSU’s Microbiology and Cell Biology department and the lab where Kyler worked. “He was the backbone of our lab.”

As with climbing, Kyler was humble about his intelligence and avoided the limelight in his career.

There was, however, one area he did show off: his sense of fashion, especially his penchant for acid washed denim. Even at work, he often wore a neon pink sweater and acid washed jeans under his lab coat.

To talk to Kyler’s loved ones is to hear stories. Doing the Floss Dance to warm up for rock climbs. Listening to trap rap on the drive to Hyalite Canyon. Getting a broken-down car towed away from the highway to spend the weekend with his brother and friends (he got it towed to the junkyard later). Sending postcards to the lab from climbing trips overseas. Hanging out in the other room with a friend’s dog during a party. Weighing the baby donkey on a bathroom scale.

One of the most important parts of Kyler’s last several years was the influence he had on one child’s life. Starting when Alice Griffin was 3, Kyler was Alice’s number one man. From bone-collecting adventures to science experiments, dragons and fireworks, the two were made for each other. Over time, Kyler became a father to Alice and a love to her mother. A friendship with a child and her mother burgeoned into a family. But his time here on Earth was all too short.

In March 2021, Kyler was struck by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with the inversion 3 mutation, a very rare and aggressive blood cancer. True to his physical strength and grit, he fought against all odds without ever complaining. After a long and brutal battle, he passed away on January 11, 2023, at MD Anderson Cancer Care Facility in Houston, Texas, at age 41.

Kyler was deeply loved by a vast constellation of extended family. He is survived by his mother Jane, father Chris (Mika), brothers Erik (Jessika) and Ryan, his beloved partner Laura “Fats” Love and her beautiful daughter, Alice. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and a tight-knit community of climbers, skiers, and outdoor enthusiasts in and around Bozeman. Kyler, with his kindness, caring and endearing smile, will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Memorials, in Kyler’s name, can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In Honor of Kyler and for all leukemia patients, please consider joining the national bone marrow registry.

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