Evelyn Bunting Tuller passed away at her home in Fair Oaks, California on February 6th 2024 from natural causes with family at her side.
She is survived by sons Andrew Loring Tuller and Christopher Gage Tuller (wife Amy Nicole Murphy). She was preceded in death by her eldest son Lawrence Bunting Tuller and her loving husband Charles Gage Tuller.
Evelyn graduated from Penn State in 1959 with a degree in Home Economics. She was president of the home economics club, member of Phi Upsilon Omicron (scholastic honor society), bridge club member, marketing club member, dormitory officer, and a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority where she met her lifelong friend, D.J. Jorcyk. After graduation D.J. and Evelyn moved to 106th and Broadway in New York City where she worked at Bloomingdale’s. While living in NYC, these two women would party at The Ratskeller where Evelyn was known to dance on the tables for tips from young male patrons.
One night while partying in their apartment there was a knock on the door. The gentleman at the door was Charles Tuller who was upstairs trying to finish his taxes and could not concentrate with the loud noise. Evelyn invited Charles to join the party, thus the beginning of their romantic relationship. The two married seven months later. Evelyn raised three boys as the family moved around the country living in Texas, California, Puerto Rico, Texas again and then California again before heading north of the border to Edmonton, Alberta. In Edmonton Evelyn took a short break from house work to revive her career working for The Hudson Bay Company as an interior decorator. Evelyn also attended a fine arts program at Grant MacEwan University and graduated with a focus on textile art.
Upon Charles’ retirement from Bechtel, Evelyn and Charles moved to San Juan Island, WA to open a Bed & Breakfast and weaving arts studio on Beaverton Valley Road which they named Moon and Six Pence as a tribute to W. Somerset Maugham’s novel The Moon and Sixpence.
In addition to running the Bed and Breakfast, Evelyn pursued her passion for weaving, spinning wool, creating her own natural dyes, and helping with the creation of The Jim Crook Society which was formed to preserve a historic wool carder designed by Jim Crook in the mid 1900’s.
Evelyn also had a passion for labyrinths. After obtaining her Labyrinth Facilitator certification from Veriditas, she built one in her backyard where the garden used to be and helped to design the labyrinth that now stands at St. David’s Episcopal Church.
After Charles’ passing in 1996, Evelyn moved to Seattle to be closer to support and services that were not available to her on the small island. It also moved her into the same city as son and daughter in law, Chris and Amy. The three of them later moved to the California Bay Area and eventually to the Sacramento area and Fair Oaks, California.
A Memorial Service for Evelyn will be held at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Friday Harbor, on Wednesday May 15 at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
