Nancy Ann (Spaulding) Tuttle

Nancy Tuttle, age 76 years, of Lynn, died Friday at the Abbott Nursing Home in Lynn after a lengthy illness.  She was the wife of Peter Tuttle with whom she shared almost fifty-two years of marriage. Nancy was stricken with polio as a young child and spent much of her childhood receiving medical care to help her walk.  She overcame many obstacles and, later in her life, was a strong advocate for post-polio syndrome research and treatment.  During her final months, Nancy received wonderful care from Care Dimensions Hospice and from the staff at the Abbott Nursing Home. 

Born in Lynn, she was the daughter of the late Almon and Mary (Melanson) Spaulding.  Nancy attended Lynn Public Schools and graduated from Lynn English High School, Class of 1960.  She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Education from Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.  While in college and during her early teaching years, she was the art teacher at Camp Calumet in West Ossipee, NH.  Nancy taught art in the Lynn Public Schools for most of her teaching career, with the exception of five years spent teaching in the Chelsea Public Schools.  She later returned to the Lynn Public School system and remained there until she retired in 2003. 

Nancy was a talented artist in any medium.  She could draw, paint, sculpt, build, design, and fabricate almost anything and her creative imagination was limitless.  She owned a custom wood working business called Peakin’ Poke as well as a paper sculpture business called Paper Passion.  She had gallery showings for her paper sculpture art, clay sculptures, and most recently her abstract drawings.  Above all else, she loved to teach and to share her love of art with all of her students.  She challenged her students to engage in large art pieces, including murals, mosaic panels, life-sized paper mâché sculptures, and a host of other projects.  In 1999, Nancy was awarded the prestigious “Distinguished Arts Educator in Visual Art Award” from the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education and received a commendation from the State of Massachusetts.

Nancy’s family and friends meant the world to her.  In addition to her husband Peter, Nancy is survived by her two daughters and their husbands- Maureen (Tuttle) Richard-Saltman and Alan Saltman, and Bonnie Lynne (Tuttle) Anderson and Todd Anderson, all of Lynn.  Nancy was grandmother to Tyler and Gabrielle Richard, and Evan and Brooke Anderson.  She also leaves behind cherished friends Philip and Barbara Mednis, Ross and Maryellen Gilchrist, and Bob and Betty Emerson, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was sister to the late Charles Spaulding, Richard Spaulding, and Alice (Spaulding) Spates.

Service Details: Nancy’s visiting hours will be held at the Parker Funeral Home at 35 Franklin St. in Lynn on Thursday, September 19th, from 4:00 – 8:00 PM to which relatives and friends are invited to attend.  Graveside services will be private.  Please make memorial donations in Nancy’s memory to the Northeast Animal Shelter at 347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970 (https://www.northeastanimalshelter.org/) or Care Dimensions Hospice at 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 (https://www.caredimensions.org/).

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