Elaine C. Tuttle

Elaine C. TUTTLE Of Bellevue WA, endured a pain ful struggle after being diagnosed in early May with pancreatic can cer before leaving us on Friday, July 17, 2009 at the age of 64. Death occurred just a few short hours after being admitted to Evergreen Hospice in Kirkland. Born April 27, 1945 in Malone, New York, she was the second of seven daughters born to Lannes E. and Helen E. Barton Tuttle. Evident throughout her life, Elaine's quiet and matter-of-fact approach generated consistently high results in any endeavor she undertook. Active on the family farm and in 4-H, she won numer ous awards in her early life with her Ayrshires and was crowned Dairy Princess in 1964. In 1961, at the age of 16, she grad uated valedictorian of her class at Brushton-Moira Central School and went on to obtain both a bach elor's (1965) and master's degree (1968) in business education at the State University of New York (Albany). For almost the next twenty years, she taught at the North Franklin Educational Cen ter, BOCES, in Malone, NY and both through the quality of her teaching and her guidance as advisor, during that time, her students won 35 state awards at Future Business Leader annual competitions. After spending the first four dec ades of her life in upstate New York, she moved to Seattle, WA in 1987 and started another success ful career as an underwriter and manager in the insurance indus try. As part of her own commit ment to continual development, she received both an associate's in underwriting and in 2000 the coveted industry designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). Her insurance work required a move to Burbank, CA but in 2001, missing her Seattle relatives, she retired from that field and returned to the PNW. Merging her talent as an educator, with her industry expertise, she spent the remainder of her life teaching at local community colleges pro viding students with the tools to succeed in business. She was one of the primary developers of the recent insurance certificate pro gram at Bellevue College. Elaine's greatest satisfactions in life came out her commitment to helping others-as an instructor, as a colleague, a friend and through her numerous charitable activities with the United Metho dist Church, Hopelink, the Union Gospel Mission among others. Although married to Richard Routh from December 26, 1974 until their divorce in 1982, that union had no children and Elaine's nearest surviving rela tives are her six sisters, Maxine Martin, Linda Teeter, Shannon Steffen, Deborah Tuttle, Rebecca Tuttle Baldwin, Patricia Oetinger and their families. Those who have been privileged to have known Elaine are invited to a celebration of her life at Lake Washington United Methodist Church, 7525 132nd Ave NE in Kirkland WA on Sunday, Septem ber 6th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Net work, pancan.org.