Obituary: John L. Tuttle, Jr.

John L. Tuttle, Jr., 70, of Sanford, died on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford.

John was born in Rochester, New Hampshire on February 24, 1951, to John L and Hazel P. (Lloyd) Tuttle.  He grew up in Sanford and attended local schools graduating in 1970 with high honors from Sanford High School.  He graduated 20th in his class and received several scholarships as well as the Ethel Prescott Award for Athletics.  He earned 10 athletic letters in football, wrestling and track and scored 33 touchdowns during his high school career.  He ran to 110-yard dash in 10.2 seconds, a school record that stood for 20 years.  He was also a state high school and later a New England Collegiate wrestling champion.  John was elected into the Maine Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.  Following graduation he attended the University of Maine, Presque Isle where he served as president of the student senate and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1976.  He later attended the University of Maine at Orono where he earned his master’s degree in public administration in 1992.  In 1984, John married Ann Sevigny and together they shared 37 years of marriage and raised one daughter.

John worked as a lifeguard for a total of 16 summers, making 99 rescues and 118 rescue assists during that time.  He founded the Maine State Lifesaving Association in 1980 and served as a national advisor for the United States Lifesaving Association from 1984-1986.  The John Tuttle Lifeguard Trophy was also presented to the most valuable competitor at the annual lifeguard championships in August of each year.  John was a 10-year veteran of the Maine Army National Guard where he served as a medic and was also a former emergency medical technician for the Sanford Fire Department and for Northeast Mobile Health Services.

John served in the state legislature for most of his adult life.  He was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1978 and then the Maine State Senate in 1984.  He served in the legislature for nearly 30 years and had been serving his 12th term as a representative when he died and had also served three terms in the Senate.  While serving, he had been chairman of several committees including Local and County Government, State Government, Maine Resources, Labor and Veterans and Legal Affairs.  He considered helping to prevent the largest landfill in the Northeast from being located in the Town of Lebanon and sponsoring legislation to establish the Southern Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Springvale as his biggest accomplishments while serving in office.  In 2009 he was named Legislator of the year by the Maine Disabilities Council.  In addition to his service in state government, John was also very active in local government.  He served for 10 years on Sanford’s Board of Selectman where he was vice-chair for five years and then for seven years as a city councilor for the City of Sanford.

John was a devout Catholic and had been a member of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish.  He had been serving as a parish lector since 1976.  He had also been a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, the Lions Club and the Elks Club.  He loved gardening and for many years he had taken pride in sharing his crops with family, neighbors, and friends.  He was especially proud of his tomatoes.  He had also written a book titled “The Call of Summer.”  John was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.  He devoted his life to serving his community and always put the needs of others before his own.  He was a shining example of what it means to live a life in service to others and the world is a better place because John was in it.  He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and a grateful community.

John was predeceased by his parents, John and Hazel (Lloyd) Tuttle.

Surviving are his wife, Ann S. Tuttle of Sanford; his daughter, Meghan Sevigny Tuttle and her fiancé Jesse Shields of Kennebunk; two grandsons, Solomon and Samuel of Kennebunk; two siblings, James P. Tuttle and his wife Mihoko of Saipan and Jane E. Tuttle-Liston and her husband Robert of Myrtle Beach, SC and several nieces, nephews, cousins and close family friends.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 PM on Thursday, February 3rd at the Carll-Heald & Black Funeral Home located at 580 Main Street in Springvale.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 5th at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, located at 66 North Avenue in Sanford.  The family requests that everyone attending services please wear a mask and maintain social distance for everyone’s health and safety.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider sending a memorial contribution to the American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Suite 300, Rockville, Maryland 20852 or online at www.kidneyfund.org.

Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.