Tammy Jo Lyons, of Porter, Texas, passed away unexpectedly on May 14, 2021 at the age of 57.Born in Omaha, Nebraska on March 17, 1964, to Lyle and Nadyne Shepard, her wild and humble Midwest soul was the shepherd of her life. With big brown eyes, she was jokingly nicknamed "Bug" by her father. The baby of the family, she was a target for pranks set in motion by her brother Bryan. She took their teasing in stride and it instilled in her resilience, cunning, and an insatiable sense of humor. Not one to abide by life's instruction manual, Tammy paved her own way with curiosity and an open heart -- even amidst tragedy. When met with the hardship of losing her mother and brother to devastating illnesses at a young age, she forged ahead with even more compassion and found the strength to carry on by starting a family of her own.Tammy's unit started out small, sharing one child with sports statistician Mark Amento; Then, she married naval recruiter Dennis Lyons in 1992, and their brood grew to four (plus several foster children) as she joined him for stints in Seal Beach, California and Houston, Texas. Though their marriage ended in divorce, the two remained dear friends until the end, finding common ground in their faith and kids. Tammy was a devoted mother and cherished her children more than anything. In turn, they treasured her -- as did their friends who all regarded her as a second mom. Impossible to contain in a cookie cutter mold, Tammy's professions and hobbies ran the gamut; in her short life she worked as a customer service representative, restaurant manager, truck driver, medical assistant, caregiver, prison guard and more. No matter the role, she committed her entire heart and soul to it. In her downtime, Tammy enjoyed hanging out with her kids, creative writing, cooking, reading true crime books, and weekend getaways visiting her best friend Faith in San Antonio. She adored all animals -- but especially alpacas and dreamed of owning an alpaca farm. She obsessed over her garden and procuring weird things for it. Above all, she loved to laugh and hers was loud and infectious; It never failed to reach the farthest corners of every room, out the window, or down the block.She will be sorely missed by everyone lucky enough to call her their own. Survivors include daughters Jessica Amento, Chelsie and Savannah Lyons; son James Lyons; father Lyle Shepard, step-mother Trilby Shepard; boyfriend Raman Ror; ex-husband Dennis Lyons, and many grandpets. She was preceded in death by her mother Nadyne; brother Bryan; grandparents Al and June Lovrien, and Ed and Arlene Barnum. In dear memory of Tammy please direct memorial contributions to Southwest Llama Rescue. Please wear Colorful Attire to honor Tammy at the Celebration of Life Service. Visitation Thu, May 20, 2021 at 9:00 am - 10:00 am Forest Lawn Funeral Home 7909 Mormon Bridge RoadOmaha, NE 68152 Celebration of Life Thu, May 20, 2021 at 10:00 am Forest Lawn Funeral Home 7909 Mormon Bridge RoadOmaha, NE 68152