SOUTH WESTERLO — Gordon Homer Tuttle’s career as a mechanic was foretold by his childhood play, making motor noises, and enhanced by his Army training.
 A lifelong resident of South Westerlo, he died on Saturday, March 26, 2022, at Greene Meadows Nursing Home under hospice care. He was 87.

Born Dec. 25,1934 at Albany Medical Center, he was one of the four “Christmas babies” pictured in the Times Union that year.

“As a boy, Gordon was already making motor sounds while running at play, pretending he was driving,” his family wrote in a tribute.

He graduated from Greenville Central School with the Class of 1953.

He was drafted into the Army and deployed to Germany. “Enjoying his time there, he was assigned to heavy truck mechanic school and graduated at the top of his class,” his family said.

After his military service, he was employed by three local car dealerships, before working and later retiring, after 20 years of service, from the Albany County Department of Public Works, based in Voorheesville.

He then joined the Norton Hill Wildlife Club, and went on the annual trips to the club’s camp in the Adirondacks.

“Gordon remained a bachelor, becoming very self-sufficient and independent,” his family wrote. “In his early eighties, his short-term memory failed, leaving him unable to drive. He was cared for by his sister and private aids.”

He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Sheila and Orlo Wagoner; two nieces, Janet Niles and Karen Salzer, as well as their families.

A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, April 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. with a memorial service at 2:30 p.m. at A.J.Cunningham Funeral Home at 4898 State Route 81 in Greenville.