Carol Ruth Tuttle

Carol Ruth Tuttle passed away early in the morning on July 24, 2026. She was 89 years old, just 7 weeks shy of her 90th birthday. In her last year and a half she faced an increasing number of health challenges, including cancer and congestive heart failure, that she decided to embrace as “nature taking its course.” She died at Colonial Village Skilled Nursing in Overland Park under the care of hospice.

Carol Ruth Wilson was born in California, Missouri in 1936, one of the twelve children of Marie and Belva Wilson. She attended Central Missouri State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1958, and later working in laboratory research. In December 1959, she married L.G. “Jerry” Tuttle. Their marriage lasted over 60 years, until Jerry’s death in 2021. Carol valued education and curiosity: she raised and supported two daughters through college and graduate school: Leslie Tuttle (married to Jonathan Earle, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) and Laura Tuttle (Woodbridge, Virginia). They survive her, as do five of her siblings: Shirley Neese (Leawood, KS), Belva Wilson, Jr. (Joliet, Illinois),Judy Barbour (California, MO), Virginia Strickfadden (Kansas City, MO), and Lynda Gray (Oviedo, Florida). She is also survived by more than thirty nieces and nephews.

Carol was known for her shyness, piercing blue eyes, attention to detail, and fondness for bon mots. Her interests included reading novels and non-fiction, travel, appreciating Asian art, and wondering at the beauty of nature, especially through astronomy and bird-watching. All throughout her life, she fondly reminisced about her upbringing in California, Missouri on her parent’s lush green farm.

Following Carol’s wishes, no formal memorial service is planned. Friends or family who want to remember her may consider a gift to Children’s Mercy Hospital, Harvesters Community Food Network, or the Nature Conservancy.