Priscilla Tuttle

Tuttle, Priscilla
Priscilla (Young) Tuttle, 84, a longtime resident of Barrington, Illinois, died peacefully on May 22, 2010. She was born to the late John P. and Rilla (Keeler)Young in Enterprise, Wisconsin on July 11, 1925 and was the youngest of four girls. She grew up at the popular Resthaven Resort on Pelican Lake. An artist from an early age, she received informal drawing lessons from Holling C. Holling, a resort guest who later earned a Caldecott for his children's book illustrations (Paddle-to-the-Sea). Priscilla's Paul Bunyan murals for the resort's lounge were an early example of her own abilities as an artist. Priscilla graduated from St. Mary's Academy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied fine art, typography, and design. In early 1945, she left the School to do her part for the war effort as a volunteer nursing assistant in Chicago. She studied pre-nursing at St. Xavier's College for a semester, then transferred to Illinois Institute of Technology for commercial art classes as the war ended. Priscilla worked as a graphic designer for Container Corporation of America, Morton Goldsholl Associates, and Sears Roebuck, earning awards from The Society of Typographic Arts and the Art Directors Club of Chicago. While at Sears, Priscilla won the heart of copywriter James Tuttle. They were married on January 24, 1953 in Chicago and eventually settled in Barrington. They had three daughters, Carol (Moseson), Jean, and Julia. Priscilla worked as an occasional freelance designer, but she focused on raising the girls while Jim worked long hours building a design firm in Chicago. Priscilla nurtured her daughters' creativity and love for art, books, and music. She also became a noted area painter whose work was displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago Sales and Rental Gallery in the 1970s and '80s. Priscilla was a generous volunteer, designing promotional materials for St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington and later creating scenery for plays performed by residents of The Pioneer Center in McHenry, Illinois while her youngest daughter lived there. Priscilla advocated for children and adults with special needs and their families for more than 30 years. Although chronic health conditions limited Priscilla's activities during her last decade, she remained a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Priscilla Tuttle was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters Alice Sharkey and Marie Follstad. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, James Tuttle, and her daughters, Carol Moseson of DeForest, Wisconsin, Jean Tuttle of Barrington, and Julia Tuttle of Senatobia, Mississippi. Priscilla also leaves behind her beloved son-in-law Gary Moseson and treasured granddaughters Hannah and Rachel Moseson (all of DeForest), her dear sister Lorraine Young Babyar of Naperville, Illinois, many wonderful nieces and nephews, cherished friends, and her devoted cat Charlotte. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anne Catholic Community Church, 120 N. Ela Street, Barrington, on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at 10:00 a.m., Reverend Philip Dressler presiding. Friends may visit in the family room at the church for one hour prior to the service, from 9 to 10 a.m. Priscilla's family thanks Seng Leong, MD and the many skilled and compassionate caregivers of Alden Estates of Barrington, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, and Advocate Home Health Services for their many kindnesses during Priscilla's last year of life. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Baddour Center of Senatobia, Mississippi (www.baddour.org), Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital of Barrington (www.advocatehealth.com), or a charity of your choice. Windridge Funeral Home of Cary, Illinois is handling the arrangements. For more information visit www.windridgefuneralhome.com or call (847) 639-2191.

This obituary was originally published in the Antioch Review.