Obituary of Lyle LeRoy Annis Jr

Lyle LeRoy Annis, Jr. passed away late on April 14, 2023, at his home in Canby, Oregon with his wife Brenda by his side. 

Lyle (known to his family as Buzzy) was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, to Lyle LeRoy Annis, Sr. (Buster), and Mary Ellen Taber Annis at Josephine General hospital on October 16, 1954. Although Lyle and his family have lived in the Tigard/Tualatin/Canby area of Oregon for the last 30 years, it is Grants Pass where he was born and spent the first half of his life, that was truly home in his heart. 

Music has always played an important role in Lyle’s life.  He was talked into playing the tuba in the marching band at Lincoln Elementary school then opted the following year for something lighter, picking up the guitar after watching his uncle playing the same. Lyle’s dad and Uncle Ronnie bought him his first Epiphone guitar in junior high school, and he was hooked.  He spent his junior high and high school years playing music with various childhood friends; playing at school functions, local parties, and of course the Grants Pass Rollerdrome. Upon graduating from Grants Pass High School in 1973, Lyle had been in several local bands and continued on that path as an adult, playing in various northwest locations and into Canada. At one point, he auditioned for and was granted admission to the prestigious Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood, but he turned it down in order to continue playing music with his friends. While playing at a hotel in Anchorage, Alaska in 1975, the band was approached by personnel from the Department of Defense, asking them to play military sites throughout Alaska. The band, the Billie Hays Band at that time, was a hit; therefore invited to extend their USO tour playing for the military to Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Diego Garcia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Johnston Island, and Hawaii in 1976; with repeat tours in 1981 and 1982. Lyle continued playing professionally throughout the 80’s and into the 90’s, playing with Johnny Golden & the Family Jewels, the Family Jewels, .357, Jacob’s Ladder, Bee Bumble & the Stingers, the Volunteers, Spontaneous Combustion, the Mechanix, Profile, Day One, Simon Sez, and the Hurrman Burrman Band. With continued effort to record more music, he and his music family were always tossing around lyrics and melodies; and for the last fifteen years, one weekend every August, he could be found singing around the campfire with the guys until that 10pm curfew.  Most mornings during these past years, coffee and Brenda at his side, Lyle’s home has been filled with love, conversations, and his amazing acoustical melodies.

Lyle is known among the music industry in Southern Oregon as genuine and talented; a positive mentor, teacher and source of guidance. Music—guitar, vocals, and writing—was something he did his whole life; and he lit up many a room when doing so!

As the music industry was changing, Lyle furthered his education at Rogue Community College, receiving his associate’s degree in Applied Science, Electronic Technology in 1991. Moving from southern Oregon, he transitioned into the telecommunications industry where he soon received national recognition, receiving awards in broadband technology as well as Employee of the Year for several years within his organization. Lyle retired after 27 years from DirectLink in Canby, Oregon in 2021.

Lyle and Brenda met one night in 1986 while he was playing music and she was dancing; their fate was sealed. Soon a family of three; Lyle, Brenda and Christopher were quite a team. Lyle was an amazing dad! He could always be found in the stands or on the sidelines of Christopher’s games—laser-focused, not wanting to miss one minute of this kid that was his heart.  The two could be found at the middle school field by their house honing Chris’ punting skills for hours; it was hard to tell who got the most out of those sessions. Lyle and Brenda had a bond that grew stronger each of their 37 years together.  They loved listening to live music, traveling to warm locations with beaches, going to movies, getting some grub, meeting up with friends, and taking walks while solving the world’s problems.  They looked forward to crazy fun events; an annual Rock Legends cruise, UFO festivals, DB Cooper Days, the Waterfront Blues Festival, and Blues Benders. Their love for each other was apparent to anyone who saw them together.

Lyle was many things to many people; he was the life of the party, an instigator, an upbeat and fun-loving, talented guy. A true gentleman, a protector, a gentle soul. He was a loyal and devoted husband, father, son, nephew, and friend. He enjoyed fishing and rafting, working out and playing music. He encouraged, saw the best in anyone he met, and was up for most any mischief.  He was a great storyteller of his life with his father, his friends spanning over decades, and his son.  People loved him; were glad to be in his orbit.  He held his friendships close; the people in his world were everything.  He touched so many, and while cancer took him from us way too early, he left us all with the most incredible memories of his thoughtful, generous, kind, and proud self. 

Lyle is survived by his wife, Brenda (Dister) Annis; sisters, Huberta Hilburn and Sue Woodard; his nephew Ed Randles (Jenn Randles); his sisters-in-law and families, Dana Dister (Donovan Grabowski), Trisha Charlton (Eric Charlton), nephews Owen and Simon Charlton; and many cousins. He is preceded in death by his son, Christopher Paul Annis; his sisters Mary Kay McGuire and Judy Permenter; and his parents, Buster and Mary Annis.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 1 p.m. at Canby Funeral Chapel in Canby, Oregon. Reception to follow. He will continue his journey to Grants Pass, where friends and family may attend a brief graveside service at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. In celebration of Lyle’s love of music, there will be an organized jam session at 6 p.m. at the Cedarwood Saloon that same day. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to either the Jeremy Wilson Foundation (a foundation that supports musicians and music industry workers during times of medical or health-related crises) at thejwf.org, or to the Youth Music Project at youthmusicproject.org. Please remember to mention in memory of Lyle Annis when donating. (If you prefer to make a check donation contact Brenda for details)