Robert (Bob) E. Tuttle passed away on Monday, November 23rd, 2015 at his residence in Galesville, Wisconsin. Robert was born in Almond, Wisconsin on June 25th, 1928, to Floyd and Susan Tuttle. As a boy, he lived in Waukesha and attended a county school and Waukesha High School. Upon graduation, Bob attended Carroll College (University) where he met his future wife Doris E. Byerly Tuttle. They were happily married for 51 years.
During college, Bob was proud member and President of TKE Fraternity. He shared many humorous stories about his pledge period with his family. Bob graduated from Carroll in 1951 with a Psychology and Sociology degree. He proceeded to marry Doris within the week! In the fall of 1951, Bob entered graduate school at the University of Minnesota earning his MSW Degree.
He then entered the United States Air Force and moved to Sampson Air Base in New York. Bob was the first Air Force Officer to be sent to graduate school for PhD. Requirements in the field of social work. Bob spent 10 years in the Air Force, ending up in San Antonio Texas at Lackland Air Force Base, during which time he was promoted to Captain.
After leaving the Air Force, Bob moved his family to Bon Air, Virginia where he became the Director of the Mississippi River Human Services Center. The last five years of his career were spent working at Gunderson Lutheran Hospital in the Counseling Department.
During Bob’s long career, he and Doris managed to have five children. They proudly put them through their undergraduate careers and set the bar for all four to continue on in higher education. Thomas (Christina) Tuttle became a medical doctor with a specialty in Internal Medicine, Teri Tuttle (deceased) was an accountant with her Master’s Degree, Laurie (Scott) Kopp was a teacher with a Master’s Degree and National Board Certification and Amy (James) Sekel is a registered nurse.
Dad was a funny man. He always liked being the center of attention telling stories about the crazy things he did or that we, his children, had done. As children, we remember camping trips around the country, a father who was always home at night for his kids, and a man who provided well for his family. He was always on to joke around and many were the recipients of his humor. Dad frequently used colorful language and was the one to teach his first granddaughter to swear when he told her he “couldn’t find the D*&% binky.” Some of the best memories were weekends spent at the cottage riding around the lake on the pontoon boat.
Bob also had a sweet tooth and for years, carried candy in his car and would often take his children to the “drug store” where inevitably, a sweet treat was purchased for them. Bob also loved cars and taught all of his children to drive a manual transmission. The cry of “Double Clutch, dammit!” became a family joke.
Dad was also a voracious reader. He could often be found, sitting at his kitchen table with an open book in front of him, a cup of coffee (with cream and sugar of course), and a pipe at his side. Dad read almost anything from fiction to nonfiction, westerns to science fiction. Occasionally, Doris would have to awaken Bob after he’d fallen asleep in the bathtub, and was snoring with the most recent water soaked Reader’s Digest with him.
Bob was preceded in death by his loving wife, Doris; and daughters Susan Ellen and Teri Ellen.
He is survived by his son Thomas (Christina) Tuttle of Boyd, WI, daughter Laurie (Scott) Kopp and their daughters Kinsey and Emily of Galesville, WI, daughter Amy (James) Sekel and their daughters Andler and Taylor of Eau Claire, WI.
Bob chose not to have a funeral, and the family will be having a private celebration of Bob’s life. He will be interred with military honors in Arlington Cemetery, Milwaukee, beside his wife and daughters on June 9th, 2016 – what would have been his and Doris’ 65th wedding anniversary.
Memorials can be sent to the Galesville Public Library or the First Presbyterian Church in Galesville.