I met Keith Naylor and Tyler Love when we were young playing Little League in Malibu. They were always kind, friendly, smiling, having a good time. Tyler and Keith were adored by the entire Malibu community.
Keith Naylor was an amazingly nice guy. It couldn’t be said often enough. He was also an amazing athlete. A left-handed hitter in baseball, he possessed a beautiful swing: quick, precise, powerful, explosive. I’ll never forget watching him tear line-drives over the first baseman’s head, turning on a low inside pitch as only a lefty can, making other lefties, myself included, appreciate his skills even more. Although he demonstrated great skill at the plate, Keith was known by many for his perfect backside surfing attack. The words to describe his surfing again fall under the categories of power, precision and great finesse. As Derek Weil would often claim after surfing with Keith, “Keith kills it backside.” There really isn’t a better complement one can receive with regards to their surfing skill.
We also played baseball with Tyler Love. I don’t remember much about his hitting, but who can forget Tyler taking the field with his hat on backwards, making the umpires go crazy, in turn making everyone else laugh hysterically. What will always stand out in my mind is his laugh. One could walk through the halls at Malibu High and hear the loud, boisterous laugh, and without seeing him, know it was Tyler. He was always smiling and laughing. The only reason I ever looked forward to geometry class was because Tyler was in the class. I knew I was guaranteed a solid hour of laughs. He would never hesitate to sacrifice himself for the sake of pure humor, and I’ve always greatly appreciated it.
From these two wonderful men, we can all take memories of fun, smiles and laughter. The widespread adoration for these two men is a true testament to their friendliness and kindheartedness. They truly were the two nicest guys I’ve ever known.
Asher Ross