Chance Cypert visited his mother’s Grand Prairie home Saturday to pick up some of her belongings. He had the urge to call her as he left the house, and though he couldn’t, he really wished he could.
Tanya Cypert died at a local hospital shortly after 2:15 p.m. Friday afternoon following a car crash in Arlington, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
While Cypert was out driving with her French bulldog, a 2025 Mercedes-Benz C30 traveling northbound on S. Cooper Street collided with her 2022 Hyundai Tucson while she was turning left.
The driver of the Mercedes-Benz, whose identity has not been released, was injured and transported to a local hospital, the statement said. Police have not said whether he will face charges in connection with the wreck.
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Police are working to determine whether the Mercedes-Benz was involved in street racing prior to the crash.
“It’s a tragedy,” Chance said. “It was a needless accident that should have never happened. She wouldn’t want me to be sad and would just want me to have strength for the family.”
“It’s hard… you wake up one day, and then somebody’s not there no more,” he said.
Friends and family remember Tanya Cypert, a longtime North Texas resident, as someone whose warmth and generosity touched countless people, often far beyond her own family.
The 53-year-old worked as a bar manager at Great Wolf Lodge and spent years in restaurant management, building close relationships with coworkers and mentoring people around her.
“She was loved by a lot of people,” Chance said. “We’ve had an outpouring of support and condolences. It’s pretty cool to see how many lives she touched.”
Tanya had a reputation for taking people in and supporting them when they needed help, Chance said.
“When somebody wasn’t having a good go in life, she would bring them in and love them like they were her own,” he said. “There are a lot of people who called her ‘mom’. It’s crazy to see how many siblings I had that I didn’t even know.”
During visits to see Chance and his wife in Colorado, she loved seeing the mountains while they drove and taking in the scenery, he said.
“The first time she came out, we were driving up a mountain and she just started crying because of how beautiful it was,” he said. “That’s just the kind of person she was. She saw the beauty in things.”
Karen Arce, a close family friend, and Chance created a GoFundMe to support the family with funeral costs and other immediate needs.
“Tanya was a loving mother, a caring friend, and someone who always put her family first,” Arce wrote. “Her loss is deeply felt by everyone who knew her, especially her sons, who are now facing an unimaginable future without her presence and support.”
As of Wednesday morning, more than $13,000 had been raised.
Many of Tanya’s friends posted tributes to her on Facebook, expressing that she brought contagious smiles, joy and light into every room she walked into.
“You helped me when I was in need and vice versa,” Mills Lamont, who lives in Irving, wrote. “You meant so much to me, and I cannot believe this happened.”
“If there’s something Tanya leaves behind for all of us, it’s a reminder that life is fragile and time is precious,” wrote Samantha Shafto, of Grapevine, who previously worked with Tanya. “Take the PTO. Take the trip. Call the people you love. Live the life you dream about instead of waiting for the ‘right time.’ ”
Tanya’s celebration of life happened Wednesday morning at Grand Prairie’s Indian Hills Baptist Church.