Joanne Maria Tuttle

Joanne Maria Tuttle, age 78, of Gainesville, VA passed away Saturday, June 2, 2018 at the Novant Health Haymarket Medical Center after a 4-day battle with viral pneumonia. A devoted wife, mother and grandmother, her sudden passing was unexpected, and she will be sorely missed by her family and all whose lives she touched. She was born on January 20, 1940 in Newport, RI the daughter of the late Thomas and Viola (Gamage) Dawson. She graduated from Rogers High School in 1957 and received a three-year scholarship at the Newport Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1960 as an RN. She married her high school sweetheart, Herbert M. Tuttle, also from Newport at St. Paul's Methodist Church on May 30, 1960. She worked as an RN at Newport Hospital for the next three years until her husband graduated from the University of Rhode Island (URI) as a Distinguished Military Graduate of the URI ROTC program and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Regular Army (RA) and ordered to immediate active duty. For the next 20 years she moved with her husband and family to Ft. Bliss, TX, Kaiserslautern West Germany, Fort Devens, MA; Portsmouth, RI when CPT Tuttle voluntarily served a one-year tour in Viet Nam. While he was away she went back to work as an RN at Newport Hospital. Upon his return to the US they moved to Ft. Holabird, MD; Munich then Stuttgart, West Germany where she became a Girl Scout Troop Leader and later a trainer of Girl Scout leaders in the greater Stuttgart area. They returned to the US and spent 3 1/2 years at Ft. Campbell KY, home of the 101st Airborne Division. While there she volunteered as a Red Cross blood drive leader and remained a very active member of the Red cross Blood mobile program for the rest of her life. Throughout Herb’s military career she also was a very active member of Officers Wives Clubs, volunteering her time and efforts for many functions and activities. She was a Red Cross Volunteer throughout her Husband’s military career. A final move brought Joanne and then MAJ Tuttle to Northern Virginia while Herb was stationed at the Pentagon for seven years. Joanne went back to work as an RN in Washington DC for three periodontist surgeons for 13 years and another 15 as an RN for a oralmaxio surgical firm in Northern VA. They moved to an over 55 active adult community at the Heritage Hunt Golf and Country Club in Gainesville, VA. LTC Tuttle, who retired from military active duty on June 30, 1984, was inducted into the URI ROTC Hall of Fame in November 2017, with Joanne and their family in attendance. Her enduring support as the wife of a career military officer showed her devotion to her lifelong partner and love of her life. Throughout the rest of her years she was a very active leader at Heritage Hunt as the head of the knitting club; Co-chair of the Community Donations Committee distributing over $140k to local charities and coordinating 16 Red Cross Blood drives. The American Red Cross awarded Joanne their Volunteer of the Year award for 2011-2012 in the Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Blood Region for her tireless blood drive efforts. She had a broad nucleus of friends throughout the 3100 residents at Heritage Hunt, many of whom have expressed their shock and prayers at her sudden passing. She was also an active singer with the Celebration Singers participating in shows throughout Northern VA. Survivors include her loving husband, LTC Herbert M. Tuttle USA (RET); children, Lynn Wood and husband Gene Wood of Fairfax, VA and Thomas A. Tuttle and wife Colleen A. Tuttle (Sundholm) of Falmouth, MA; six grandchildren, Ben Kaplan, Stan Kaplan, Justin Wood, James Tuttle, Thyra Tuttle and Elizabeth Tuttle. The family will receive friends from 3:00-5:00 PM Saturday, June 16, 2018, at Pierce Funeral Home, 9609 Center Street, Manassas, VA where a Celebration of Life service will be held at 5:00 PM with our good friend Rev. Paul Kabo officiating. Interment will be at the Arlington National Cemetery Columbarium at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations to the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association would be greatly appreciated at www.dysphonia.org.

Joanne Maria Tuttle

January 20, 1940 - June 2, 2018