In 2020, Tyson Shelley returned to Castle Pines after two decades away. Together with his wife and three daughters, he came back to the place he will always call home. It happened after a perfectly matched job opportunity in Denver came calling, and he was hired to lead multilingual content management on a global scale with Zoom.

Rewind to 1992. The Shelley family of seven moved from Arizona to a brand new home in Castle Pines on Warwick Place; Tyson was just 10 years old.

“The view went off into Daniels Park, into the pine trees and off on the horizon,” said Tyson. He would play for hours at a time with his dog, Patch, in the dirt field as well as hit golf balls into the distance and then collect and repeat again and again.

Being a kid in the early years of Castle Pines gave way to Tyson exploring “the woods” with friends, riding bikes everywhere, and getting into plenty of mischief with his big brother, Maury. He even had the opportunity to play a few rounds at the then-newly-built Sanctuary golf course with his dad, Craig, who worked for RE/MAX. “As a kid, I had zero clue how special that was,” he said.

As a teen, Tyson worked at the Vans and Bass stores at the Outlets at Castle Rock, mowed a lot of neighborhood lawns, and developed a passion for the outdoors and trying new things. Today, Tyson’s hobbies are indicative of that and include rock climbing, woodworking, hunting, fly fishing, music recording, playing the guitar and, namely, photography.

Tyson’s days always started at his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tyson’s mom, Jessie, drove Tyson and his siblings to seminary each morning at 5:30 a.m. for years. “My mom is a saint,” he laughed.

One of his church leaders, Gary Cook, who lives in Surrey Ridge, was instrumental in helping Tyson complete his Eagle Scout requirements in the hours before his 18th birthday. “He really pushed me and encouraged me to do good things, be a good citizen and get involved in the community,” said Tyson, adding that Gary’s wife, Ellen, was like a second mom to him.

At Douglas County High School, Tyson soared in Spanish thanks to teacher Maria Sorensen, who instilled enthusiasm for the language. After graduation in 2000, he attended summer term at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Idaho and then completed a two-year mission trip in Lima, Peru. “I can’t downplay that experience. It was hugely formative in my life,” said Tyson.

He went on to complete his undergraduate degree in Spanish education at BYU Idaho (where he met his wife, Brett) and also his master’s in translation and localization management at Monterey Institute of International Studies in California.

Tyson is happy to have landed back in Castle Pines in The Retreat neighborhood, just a few short blocks from his childhood home. “When we moved back in 2020, it was very surreal,” smiled Tyson. “I had daily déjà vu for like three months.”

Looking through the lens of a father, Tyson sees how lucky he was to grow up in this hidden gem of a community and is grateful to see his young girls walking the same trails, exploring the same parks, and making friends in the same community that was so impactful to his life. “It’s so awesome to see my kids getting to know this area. It’s a great place for families – and for my family now,” he said.

By Elean Gersack; photos courtesy of Tyson Shelley