Laconia---Bill “Coach” Tuttle, 81, of 42 Rowell St., died on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 from melanoma.
He was born in Laconia, NH on July 3, 1928, a son of Joseph and Anna (Mickeli) Tuttle and had been a lifelong resident of Laconia. He attended local schools and was a graduate of Laconia High School, Class of 1946, and worked as a contract carpenter in the Lakes Region for many years.
He served in the US Air Force during the Korean War as a Technical Sargeant with the 1973 Airways and Air Communication Squadron in Korea. He served in a squadron of 200 airmen who operated advanced Fighter airstrips and emergency evacuation sites and was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation. He was also awarded the Korean Presidential Citation, Air Force Commendation Medal, Korean Service Medal with 5 Bronze Stars, Republic of Korea Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, and American Defense Medal.
For most of his life he was a volunteer for Little League Baseball. He coached the Rotary Little League Team for 42 years and was Assistant District Administrator for District 2 for 14 years. He was co-recipient with his close friend, Bert Decormier, of the Debra Bieniarz Memorial Award for Service to the Youth of the City of Laconia in 2007.
His wife, Dorothea Darnell Tuttle, died in 1994. The family includes a son, Timothy Tuttle, of Laconia; two daughters, Kim Tuttle of Hopkinton and Cynthia Nichols of Manteno, Ill., three grandchildren, Devon, Avery, and Andrew Nichols; a brother, James, of Orange City, Fla.; a sister, Mary Murray, of Belmont and a niece and nephews.
There will be no calling hours.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Avenue, Laconia, N. H. on Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 10:00AM.
Memorial donations may be made to Laconia Little League, c/o of Mary Nyhan, 23 Oak St., Laconia, NH 03246 or to Community Health & Hospice, Inc., 780 North Main Street, Laconia, N. H. 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is in charge of the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.