Louise Dorothy Tuttle

Celebrating the Life of Louise Tuttle

Today, we gather to celebrate the life of Louise Tuttle - a woman small in stature but full of strength, curiosity, and love. Welcome to her 90th birthday party!

Lou lived through a great deal in her nearly 90 years. As a teenager, she and her best friend Pauline would spend entire days at the movies - two or even three showings in a row, just for fun. Lou loved the theater, fancy dresses, and would buy the latest album for each musical. They would play the albums over and over, and sing and dance!

She learned resilience early, helping raise her younger siblings (Judy and Jimmy) after her family faced hard times. Life shaped her into someone who carried the weight of worry - but also the gift of caring deeply. She worried because she loved.

Lou was super popular at school, and after all her romances, she met and married Ron Tuttle. Together, they built a life full of commitment and adventure, including cross-country travels in their fifth wheel. They had one son, Mike, and Lou's love for family only deepened as she helped raise her grandsons - Kaleb, Cameron, and Cody - with devotion and joy, while always supporting their mom, Kim. Even after she moved away from the Bay Area, her connection with family never faded.

After Ron passed, Lou began a new chapter in Idaho. She made the journey with her sister Judy and brother-in-law Zig, her niece Cindy and nephew-in-law Michael, and their sons Jacob and Noah. Her sister-in-law Judy (her favorite roommate) also joined this next phase of life. It wasn't long before more family followed - perhaps drawn by Lou's spirit, or maybe just to keep an eye on her. For the past 20 years, she was surrounded by love and community in Idaho.

Lou cherished the little joys in life: chips, crackers, card games, things that were neat and tidy, clothes that matched, and her daily lineup of game shows. She had a passion for reading especially romance novels - and a lifelong obsession with shoes. Even when she had to trade her stylish favorites for more sensible pairs, her love of footwear never wavered.

She dreamed of Paris and loved French music even though she never flew there, she visited often in her imagination. She loved the beautiful fashion, and high society of Paris life. Her love for the world, even from afar, reminds us that wonder can live in our hearts, even if we never leave the country.

She was nosy in the best possible way - always curious, always watching, always asking - and in that curiosity was her way of showing she cared. She wanted to know what everyone was doing, planning, or thinking. And as she pondered it all, that leg of hers never stopped shaking.

Through it all, Lou had her sister Judy by her side - not just a sister, but a best friend, a caregiver, and a steady presence. Especially after Lou's stroke in 2023, Judy's kindness and compassion never wavered. Their bond was a living example of true sisterhood - each taking care of the other at different times.

So today, we remember Lou not just for the years she lived, but for the way she lived: with humor, heart, a good book in hand, and a stash of snacks nearby. She always wanted everyone to get along and to treat each other well.

She lived fully, loved deeply, and trusted God through every season. We take comfort in knowing she is now at peace, held in His eternal embrace.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7