Obituary: Tuttle, James Bradford “Brad”
The Lord called him home on August 15, 2015.
He attended Rusk Grade School and graduated June 1941 from Austin High School.
Following graduation he started work on the T&NO RR as a yard clerk.
He took a leave of absence from the RR in November, 1942 to enlist in the US Navy.
During WWII he served in the South Pacific as part of an anti-submarine squadron equipped with Douglas A/C Dive Bombers.
Brad was honorably discharged in January, 1946 and returned to his RR job and started classes at Texas College of Mines in El Paso.
The following year he transferred to New Mexico A&M in Las Cruces, NM where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.
In June 1951 Brad received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering.
That same June he resigned his RR position to join Hughes Aircraft Co. where he spend 36+ years as an Electronic Engineer participating on many Air and Space Programs.
During the early years while stationed at Holloman AFB (near Alamogordo, NM) Brad met Muriel Gregg (Midge), for a second time, in El Paso on her 1st trip to the area for her job with Mountain States Tel & Tel.
They had met years earlier in San Francisco at his brother’s wedding to a friend of Midge’s.
This time, after seven dates, they were married in Denver, CO on April 11, 1954 and had 61+ wonderful years together; their three children were born in Alamogordo.
They relocated to the main Hughes Aircraft Co. facility in Culver City, CA in June 1967 where they remained until Brad’s retirement in December, 1987.
In December, 1990 they moved from southern California to Spokane, WA.
Brad really enjoyed working on projects for his church - Bethlehem Lutheran in Granada Hills, CA, and St. Luke in Spokane, WA.
At Bethlehem he led a group in re-designing and rebuilding the roof (to correct a very leaky situation) and was also involved in a project to remodel and add new construction to enable opening of a preschool plus building of a playground.
He served on the Church Council as Property Manager, Secretary, Treasurer, and VP, and taught Sunday school.
Brad also really enjoyed his association with St. Luke and his time with the “Fifty Plus” Core Group.
He also loved his mountain stream fishing in the Rockies and Sierras, big game hunting in the Rockies, and camping almost anywhere.
Survivors include his loving and faithful wife Midge; two daughters Lori Adams (James) of Upland, CA and Lynne Brandkamp (Christopher) of Colbert, WA; one son Scott Tuttle (Robin) of Northridge, CA; seven grandchildren - Alissa Adams of Airway Heights, WA, Amanda Adams of Pasadena, CA, Megan and Lauren Brandkamp of Tacoma, WA, Ryan Brandkamp of Colbert, WA, and Jason and Kayla Tuttle of Northridge, CA; and a brother Larry Tuttle (Wenonah) of Greenwood Village, CO. A memorial service will be held at St. Luke Lutheran Church on September 5 at 3PM with Pastor Jim Johnson officiating.
Memorial donations may be made to: St. Luke Lutheran Church, PO Box 28948, Spokane, WA 99208 or Hospice House of Spokane, 102 W Rhoades Ave., Spokane, WA 99208.