Airman 1st Class Tavin Revis McAnear-DeLozier of Fort Worth, TX, served in the United States Air Force. He was born on September 21st, 2006, at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, TX, and passed away far too young at the age of 19 on September 3rd, 2026, in Goldsboro, NC, due to a motorcycle accident.

Tavin graduated with honors from V.R. Eaton High School as part of the Class of 2025 on May 27th in Haslet, TX. Prior to graduation, he committed to joining the Air Force and was selected as an Aerospace Propulsionist. He was sworn in on December 29th, 2025, and completed Basic Military Training on February 19th, 2026, as a “Warthog” with the 321st Training Squadron in the 737th Training Group Drum & Bugle Corps, Flight 169, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX. He later completed his technical training as a “Hellcat” with the 361st Training Squadron at Sheppard Air Force Base on May 27th, 2026, in Wichita Falls, TX.

Tavin spent his final months with the Air Force at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as a “Timberwolf” with the 4th Component Maintenance Squadron, where he consistently excelled and was recognized by his superiors. He passed away while serving his country as an active-duty member of the United States Air Force with military honors.

“Do you remember the 21st night of September?” -Earth, Wind & Fire

His mom certainly does, it was the most important night of her life.

All “McAroni” wanted from his mom for his birthday was tickets to fly home, see his family and friends, and eat at Braum’s “Every. Single. Day.” His flight was booked to arrive the morning of the 19th, and he was so stoked the countdown was on. He passed just 18 days shy of his 20th birthday. Unfortunately, rather than a joyous arrival, we are saying goodbye.

His favorite places on earth were home, lying in bed (he really did only love his bed and his momma, sorry…) and “The Farm,” his MeMe and Pop’s land on the lake where he grew up playing in the dirt, planting trees, fishing, riding jet skis, driving tractors, welding, eating s’mores, and the like. For someone so active and so involved, he loved to sleep. It was risky business trying to wake him up.

Tavin was maybe the world’s biggest Batman fan. He looked like he could have actually been Bruce Wayne. That’s really what he wanted to be when he grew up. Obsession would be an understatement. His love for Spider-Man was equally unmatched. Those two superheroes had a major influence on him. His mom and Jordan had just flown up a few weeks before this tragic accident to Raleigh, NC, for the week to hang out with him and see the newest Spidey movie, which he loved, by the way, continuing a Marvel family tradition. So, if you aren’t caught up with the Marvel Universe or haven’t seen it, go, ‘cause if he were here, he’d chew you out with a “what are you even doing bruh?” As a movie and TV buff, he also loved 2001: A Space Odyssey, American Psycho, Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, Oppenheimer, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pulp Fiction, The Iron Giant, The Shining, The Office, The Walking Dead (well, until Carl got bit…) and was a fan of anything Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Christopher Nolan, and Stanley Kubrick. He regularly watched Joe Bart and Good Mythical Morning, along with Gumbus (IYKYK) on YouTube. And yes, he liked some anime, and yes, he thought Attack on Titan should be a required watch by everyone for like citizenship or something.

Tavin loved playing video games and was obsessed with The Last of Us series, Elden Ring, Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League. Too many to count. Gaming was serious business, and he had the set-up. He might have been slightly, just a teeny tiny little itty bit spoiled. He was really looking forward to GTA VI coming out this November.

Music was a major part of Tavin’s life, and he was a huge fan of Queen, Pink Floyd, Mötley Crüe, Deftones, Nirvana, and Radiohead, to name a few. He was into just about every genre of music…except post-2000s country. Coming from a musical family and with Jordan as his guide, Tavin learned how to play the drums, piano, and guitar. During Basic Military Training, he was also a member of the band flight, taking his talent into the Air Force and playing the snare. He also had a set of pipes and was in choir for 7 years.

He was constantly consuming media, oftentimes simultaneously. If you called him, it was more likely than not that he’d be FaceTiming you, playing a game and watching a show at the same time. He really could multitask.

As a child, he had a fascination with LEGO. LEGOs everywhere. Even the LEGO video games. One of his and his mom’s greatest accomplishments was completing LEGO: The Hobbit 100%. He joked about putting it on his résumé. He also went through a Lightning McQueen phase (some of you may have noticed his signature Crocs, he wore them so much he had backup pairs), as well as a Freddie Mercury phase, where he regularly dressed up and put on fantastic performances.

The boy could eat. All he thought about was food. He loved his time in the military, but was beyond ready for Phase 2 of tech school so he could “actually eat.” Braum’s (duh), Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, Panda Express and Saltgrass were staples. Oh my, did he love a good huge cut of steak, especially if you were buying. There was a saying at home, “We try things in this house.” That later came back to bite them, because by elementary school he expected to eat lobster, filet mignon, and sushi on the regular. He especially had a taste for Thai and Vietnamese food.

A natural talent, standing 6’3” and left-handed, Tavin spent nearly a decade playing baseball as a pitcher and first baseman for the Young Guns Baseball Club and the Cooperstown Cobras until the injuries called ball game. He also worked as an umpire for Fossil Creek Little League and was a regular on the field while also helping himself to the snack shack. Shhh…

He also enjoyed playing golf, working out and lifting weights, and was a fan of hockey, rooting for the Dallas Stars. He was so big on Formula 1 that he’d wake himself up in the middle of the night to watch a race happening on the other side of the world.

A thrill-seeker and adrenaline junkie, Tavin liked airsoft, ATVs, fast cars, kayaking, paddleboarding, paintball, roller coasters, skiing, snorkeling, sport bikes, and zip lines…we could actually go on forever…

An avid cat lover and cat brother, Tavin was really looking forward to getting his own cat someday soon and talked about it frequently. “It’s gotta be an orange boy…I want a two-brain-celled doofus.” He rarely missed an opportunity to show them affection, would regularly FaceTime his feline siblings, and was a sucker for strays.

His mom was his ride-or-die, and if you knew the two of them, you knew he was undeniably her “mini-me.” Attitude, personality, stubbornness, humor, empathy, and spirit. They shared a bond that was impossible to miss. He was her only child, and he happily kicked his shoes off and made himself cozy, taking up as much space as possible in her heart. He wanted to do anything and everything, and his mom had a really, really, really hard time saying no to him.

Tavin was known to be a force of nature. He couldn’t stay mad for long and was a great friend and joker. He loved to make people laugh. His friends meant everything to him, and he was always up for meeting new people, never shying away from striking up a conversation or wanting to make everyone feel welcome. He loved that his home was the “hangout” spot, and the door was always swinging.

His plans for the future were immense and bright. He wanted to travel the world and had his fingers crossed tight for a transfer to a base in either England or Japan. He intended to complete his bachelor’s in engineering while in the service and dreamed of working on F1 engines, preferably for Red Bull, but would’ve settled for “making bank” at Boeing or Lockheed Martin.

Tavin had so much more life to live, so many places to go, people to meet, and things to experience. He, without a doubt, lived to the fullest and took advantage of every opportunity to just do life. Sadly, his life was cut short just as his future was beginning.

It’s difficult to summarize such an active and vibrant life, a young man who had so many interests and hobbies, who was always down for whatever and willing to try just about anything, with such big dreams and plans. This tribute may be quite lengthy, but it is just a small glimpse of who Tavin was and what he brought into this world.

He was handsome, hardworking, headstrong, hilarious, and hopeful.

He was a wonderful son, grandson, and brother. As the oldest child to both his mother and to his father, his siblings and cousins looked up to him tremendously.

The mark he left on the people who loved him will be tattooed forever. The future looks rather boring and dim without him. It’s difficult to envision a life without him. Oh, that beautiful smile. He was, and always will be, so deeply loved and missed. What a privilege to have known him. What a gift to have grown with him. What a blessing.

Tavin is survived by his parents, Maegan McAnear-Berry and Jordan Berry, and David and Stephenie DeLozier; half-brothers, Casen, Austin, and Layton DeLozier; grandparents, Margie and Revis McAnear, Becky and Joey Berry, Veronica and Raul Alvarez, Patty and Kenneth DeLozier, and Charlcie and Dwayne Waddle; great-grandparents, Karen and Jeff Cleere, Martha Coyle and Bill West, and Paulette and Jim Moscato; great-grandmother Laura Logan; aunts and uncles, Reneka and Dakotah McAnear, Amanda and Josh Tankersley, and Chelcie and Eric Jessup; aunts, Chelsey McAnear, Whitney Berry, Katie DeLozier, and Dani DeLozier; uncles, Joseph Bogden, Kevin DeLozier, and Jacob Burris; cousins, Auldin and Foster McAnear, Kamdon, Kaison, and Kennedi McAnear, Christian Tankersley, Calyope Berry, Payton Burris, Brayden McClendon, and Erin Jessup; along with so many other loving family, friends, and fellow Airmen.

He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents, Leila and Donald Turner, Shirley and Melvin DeLozier, Maria and Pablo Alvarez, Charlene and Bob White, Elaine and Wilbert Layne, and Peggy and Wendell Moore; great-grandfathers, Edward McAnear and David Logan; great-grandmother LaNell McAnear; grandfather Stephen Layne; half-brother Tyler DeLozier; uncle Brandon McAnear; and cousin Phoenix Berry.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to his very best friends from school, Jackson Word, Kooper Day, and Ella Mowdy. All the memories. You were always there for him, and he was always there for you. Coming from a class of nearly 900 students alone, he had so many pals one couldn’t even count. He made connections everywhere he went. To all the teachers who helped him succeed, we thank you.

The family would also like to thank United States Air Force A1C Benecio Villarreal and A1C Brett Kendrick; Amn Alan DeBord and Amn Joseph Maloney; SSgt Paul Dell, SSgt Taylor Keown, SSgt Chance McGinnis, and SSgt Andres Zendejas; TSgt Lane Rounds; Msgt Stephen Boehm; Maj Kenneth Bautista and Maj Nicholas Linville for the extended brotherhood and support you not only gave Tavin, but also gave our family during this exceptionally difficult time, along with any and all other members who provided direction, encouragement and friendship. He talked about so many of you that this list honestly feels incomplete. He really enjoyed his job and everyone he worked with on both days and swings, we cannot thank you enough.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes for a donation to your local animal shelter and/or to the Air & Space Forces Aid Society, the official charity of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

If Tavin’s life can leave anything more behind, we hope it is a reminder to never take a moment on a motorcycle for granted. Please ride responsibly and wear your safety gear and helmet, but know that regardless of that, it very well may not save you. Remember that no thrill of any sort is worth losing your life. No matter how safe you are, you are more vulnerable than you realize. You are not invincible, and it can happen to you.

We would give anything to have our son back and rid ourselves of this pain.

“Shine on, you crazy diamond…”