John Ole Tuttle

1935 - 2025

John Ole Tuttle
Born: August 11, 1935 in LaSalle County, IL
Died: October 30, 2025 in Naperville, IL
John Ole Tuttle was born in LaSalle County, IL as the second to last of seven children born to Arthur O. Tuttle and Mary Angelina (née Duvick) Tuttle. He enjoyed growing up on a farm outside of Sandwich, IL with his dog Skippy and his siblings. He went to country elementary school, and middle school in Sandwich. He graduated from Sandwich High School in 1953, and while there he enjoyed playing basketball, football, baseball, and participating in track, and the mixed and boy's choirs while working in town as a pinsetter at the bowling alley. Upon high school graduation, John worked for the NI Gas company. Then he proudly served in the US Army. He was stationed out of Chicago, where he was also employed as a "terrible" Christmas wrapper at Marshall Field's over the holidays.
John went on to get his undergraduate degree in history at Western Illinois University. During summers he worked laying blacktop for Stahl/Curran Construction Company. After college, John went on to teach history and geography at Marseilles High School, where he met local girl, Janene Combs. They married in 1963. Shortly after, they moved to DeKalb, IL where John continued to teach and earned his Master's in Psychology from Northern Illinois University. The couple then moved to Greeley, CO where John earned his Ed.D. at the University of Northern Colorado.
In 1971 John established Illini Realty in Sandwich, which he ran until 1980. During this time, his daughter Jennifer and his son Jonathan were born. He also briefly served as Sandwich Police Commissioner. John and Janene raised their children in Sandwich, IL, Janesville, WI and later Schaumburg, IL.
From 1990 to 2006 John served as a school psychologist and retired from Ogle County Educational Cooperative at 70 years old. In 2015, his grandson Noah was born. John continued to stay busy with various real estate ventures throughout his life.
John loved to tell a story, or a pun, he loved real estate, milk with ice, and sports: Illini basketball, the Bears and the Cubs – in that order. He loved his daughter's dogs, Daisy and later Beatrice and won them over with cheese. He especially loved the family dog, Brownie, and had a million nicknames for him, his favorite being Dr. Brown, because he was a smart doggo.
Most of all, he loved his family and enjoyed watching his daughter's plays, his son play basketball, his grandson play soccer, talking with his son-in-law after dinner in the kitchen, and especially, he loved his wife Janene, with whom he built a life with for 62 years.
Proceeded in death by his mother, father, brother Robert Tuttle and sisters Wanda Crawford, Marilyn Dienst and Norma Hooker, survived by his wife Janene Tuttle, daughter Jennifer Tuttle (and husband Ryan Kipp), his son Jonathan Tuttle, his grandson, Noah Tuttle-Kipp, and his sisters Beverly Ulvenes and Anita Abens. He had hoped to live to 100, but was proudly driving, working and living a full life at 90. We're grateful for his long, full life. We love him so much and will miss him dearly.
A Memorial Service for John Ole Tuttle will be held on Saturday, 12/27/25 at Harvest Chapel Church, 725 S. Countyline Rd., in Sandwich, IL. Visitation at 10am, Service at 11am with a luncheon to follow.