November 15, 1932 — September 10, 2024
Linda Elizabeth Van Horn Tuttle, 91, formerly of Reading, MA, and Deerfield, NH, passed peacefully on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at Vantage Health & Rehabilitation Center of Wakefield. She had been a resident there since December 2018 after being diagnosed with dementia.
She was born November 15, 1932, in Reading, the daughter of William Reginald Van Horn and Ruth Elizabeth Doucette Van Horn.
Linda was a 1950 graduate of Reading High School.
She married Allan Richard Tuttle on December 27, 1959. He preceded her in death on August 29, 1988.
In 1965, Linda and Allan moved from Reading, MA to Deerfield, NH where they raised their three boys. While Allan worked as a truck driver during the week in Boston, Linda held the fort down. She was tough, but fair. Linda loved her boys and grandchildren. She was very proud of each of her children and told anyone who would listen to her about them.
She worked as a bartender for a few years at Charming Fare Golf Course in Candia, NH.
In 1988, Linda and Allan moved to Hull, MA. After his death, she relocated to Portsmouth, NH, where she was a ticket taker for Strawberry Bank Museum. She also spent several years in Sun City Center, FL, before returning to her hometown of Reading.
She was known to volunteer her time for causes that were important to her. She served on the Deerfield Zoning Board, Deerfield Library Trustees, and was a member of the Deerfield Historical Society. Prior to her illness, she volunteered for the Mission of Deeds in Reading. She was very proud of her connection to Reading’s historical Parker Tavern as her grandparents lived there and it was the place of her mother’s birth.
In her spare time, she could be found reading a good book, quilting, painting ceramics, meeting a friend for lunch, or watching a good movie. She also enjoyed travelling with her dear friend Ann Cauley. Some of their excursions took them to England and Ireland. While her son David was stationed in Germany, she visited Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Amsterdam, Bavaria, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland. Linda loved the many pets the family had through the years.
Linda is survived by three sons, David A. Tuttle and his wife Cindy Ethier-Tuttle of East Taunton, MA, Michael E. Tuttle of Lake City, CO, and Barry Tuttle of Snoqualmie Pass, WA; sister, Judith M. Smith of Reading; grandchildren Brady Elsbeth Tuttle of Mishawaka, IN, Parker A. Tuttle of Lake City, CO, and Jonathon Burleson of Reno, NV; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents, Linda was preceded in death by her brothers, Richard Van Horn, and Thomas Thornton, and granddaughter Ruth Anna Tuttle.
Family and friends are kindly invited to gather and share memories with the family on Friday, September 20th, 2024, in the Doherty Barile Family Funeral Home, 11 Linden St. READING from 10 am to 11 am followed by a Funeral Service Celebrating Linda’s Life at 11 am. Parking attendants and elevator available. At 1:30 pm a graveside service will be held at the Morrison Cemetery, Deerfield, NH, where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband Allan.
Please consider donations in memory of Linda to Mission of Deeds, 6 Chapin Ave. Reading, MA 01867 at https://www.missionofdeeds.org/
