Obituary of William M. Tuthill Sr.
South Plainfield, NJ: William (Bill) Tuthill, Sr. has passed unto his eternal reward, surrounded by the love of his family.
Bill was the son of the late William and Anna Tuthill. He grew up in NJ, and joined the United States Marine Corps shortly before the U.S. entered World War II. During the war, he served as a Marine technical sergeant in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal.
After the war, Bill fulfilled a career as a water conditioning technician and master plumber. He and his wife, Elaine, travelled within several countries, where Bill honed his photography skills and enjoyed meeting people of varied backgrounds. In retirement, he was a photographer and writer, humorist and volunteer. For many years, Bill and Elaine volunteered in Haiti, contributing their professional plumbing and nursing expertise within several sections of the country and developing friendships with other volunteers and local Haitians.
A long-time resident of South Plainfield and active communicant of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Bill participated in many civic and church organizations. These included the Holy Name Society, where he served as president, Knights of Columbus, Watchung Area Boy Scouts Council, serving for 22 years, Watchung Arts Center and the South Plainfield Juvenile Conference Committee, in which he was a charter member and served for 10 years. In addition, Bill was also a member of the South Plainfield Historical Society and he frequently contributed photographs and editorial letters to local newspapers.
Due to COVID -19 limitations, funeral services will be private.
A public celebration reflecting Bill’s life will be held at a later date.
Donations in memory of Bill may be considered for the Lyons VA Hospital Veterans Health Fund (Volunteer Office, 151 Knollcroft Rd, Lyons, NJ, 07939) or the South Plainfield Rescue Squad (2520 Plainfield Ave, South Plainfield, NJ 07080) or other organizations of social concern.
