Tennyson "Tenny" Tuttle

Tennyson “Tenny” Tuttle was born January 30, 1919 in Bernie, Missouri, the 2nd youngest of 6 surviving siblings raised by their mother Pauline Lance Tuttle. The family later spent time in Detroit, Michigan, throughout the Great Depression. Tenny joined the US Navy in 1939, touring the Pacific on the USS New Mexico during WWII. His brother, Raymond Morris Tuttle, served simultaneously, but was lost when his battleship, the USS Asheville, was sunk by Japanese forces in 1941 off the coast of Java during WWII.

After his discharge in 1945 as Y3C Yeoman, Tenny met and married his wife Yvette, and they traveled to Long Beach, California, where they had a daughter, Debra Lee. Tenny worked as an accountant at Long Beach State University, from which he later retired at nearly 62. Thus started his career as an avid hiker, and bicyclist. He was as active in the Sierra Club, hiking the Grand Canyon multiple times. He became a health enthusiast, encouraging nutrition and exercise to all, for many years, himself consuming 2lb of fruit/day, and logging in over 30,000 miles on his bicycle after retirement.

Tenny lived for several years in Seal Beach Leisure World. He made many trips to Oregon to visit his daughter and granddaughters over the years, finally moving to Southern Oregon at age 89. He passed away peacefully at home on March 6, 2011. He never used a wheelchair and never lost his love for ice cream.

He is loved and survived by his daughter Debie and Son-in-Law Ron Stelter of Rogue River, OR, his sister Alene Daws, of Michigan, Granddaughters Melinda Loveless, Grants Pass, OR, Michelle Gurzi, Medford, OR, Jennifer Gurzi, Vancouver, WA, 3 great-Grandchildren, and, long time friend Steve Gurzi, of Grants Pass, OR. He is also survived by many wonderful friends & fellow hikers and bikers located in the Long Beach area. He will be missed greatly by his family.

A memorial service will be at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Tuttle Family Home, 940 Fielder Creek Road, Rogue River.

Military Honors will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 26, 2011 at Eagle Point National Cemetery.