Obituary of Ivy Grace Tinker

August 1, 2023

Ivy Grace Tinker died in New York City on August 1, 2023.

Ivy Grace was born on January 15, 1996 in Memphis, Tennessee, the daughter of Cory Ray and Anne Flowers Tinker. Named for her maternal grandmother and great grandmother, she had two older brothers, Andrew and Reid, whom she adored.

She grew up in Memphis and attended St. Mary’s Episcopal School, graduating in 2014. In a family of boys and sports, Ivy Grace forged her own path. She was an unassuming and quiet personality, a gentle soul, whom her family and friends affectionally called their “tinker bell.” It initially surprised them when in middle school, Ivy Grace took a dramatic turn, finding the stage a second home. She performed in numerous plays at the Desoto Family Theatre and St. Mary’s Buckman Performing Arts Center. In her senior year, Ivy Grace starred in the musical Cinderella. Her family was there for every performance, joining the audience in its standing ovation. Ivy also loved graphic design, traveling to Europe, attending Strong River Camp and church mission trips, beadwork, children, even running her own babysitting business, and fairies. She looked forward to trips to Jackson, TN, where GrandMom Tinker nurtured Ivy Grace’s talent for crafts and Big Man indulged her sweet tooth. She never missed an opportunity to spend time with GrandBob and Dearie as well, two of her biggest supporters onstage and off. Thanksgiving at their house was always a yearly blessing.

Ivy Grace was thrilled to be accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and graduated with a BFA in 2018. New York quickly became her city, as it energized her creative spirit and gifted her with a like-minded community. She worked in fringe theatre until COVID closed the city’s playhouses. During this period, she perfected her crafting and Pokémon skills, decorated her apartment, and hosted weekly Dungeon and Dragon parties for her friends. Another favorite past time was dressing up, tending toward the goth, and she often changed her hair color. Ivy Grace always had a heart for inclusiveness, so it was natural that in New York, she became a champion for issues of diversity.

Ivy Grace left us too soon. She had dreams of one day playing Hamlet on stage. Shakespeare, her favorite playwright, wrote Hamlet when grieving the death of his own son Hamnet. As in the play’s final lines, “adieu, adieu, adieu, remember me,” Ivy Grace’s family will always remember, cherish, and love her dearly. While grieving her absence, they are confident that as her name indicates, she now abides within the unfailing goodness of God’s grace, and they seek comfort in the knowledge that Ivy Grace is finally at peace.

Ivy Grace is survived by parents Anne and Cory Tinker; her brother Reid Tinker; her brother and sister-in-law Andrew and Ashley Tinker, with her nephew Elliot and niece Ollie Drew; grandmother Josephine Tinker; her aunts and uncles, which include Lou and Jerry Martin, Betsy and Darren Middleton, Scott and Michelle Tinker; cousins Elizabeth, Jerry B. (Madison), and Louis Martin; Jonathan Middleton; and Cameron Tinker; and her best friend Charis Storms. She is preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Iva Lou and Bob Flowers; paternal grandfather Warren Tinker; and cousin Casey Tinker.

A private service for immediate family will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ivy Grace's memory to the Buckman Performing Arts Center at St. Mary's Episcopal School, 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, TN 38117.