George Norman Tuthill

George Norman Tuthill, age 88, of Jupiter, Florida, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 22, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife and family.

George was born at Southampton Hospital in Southampton, New York, on February 17, 1938, to Florence and Edwin Tuthill. He was raised in Montauk, New York, and attended East Hampton High School, where he met his high school sweetheart, Alice Peterson.

From an early age, George was hardworking, entrepreneurial, and determined. He rarely sat still and had a gift for turning hard work into opportunity. At just 14, he worked on fishing boats, went clamming, and set traps for fur, which he sold to New York garment dealers. Even then, he understood the value of hard work, opportunity, and saving for the future.

After graduating from high school, George enlisted in the United States Navy. He served as an Electrician's Mate aboard the USS Stormes (DD-780), a Sumner-class destroyer. His leadership, technical ability, and determination quickly distinguished him, and he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. After four years of honorable service, George returned to civilian life and began what would become an extraordinary career in the emerging world of computer technology.

George joined IBM as a field engineer, where his technical expertise and natural ability to lead quickly earned him recognition as a best-in-class technician. His career continued to advance as he moved into increasingly senior leadership positions. He later joined MAI, where he became a Regional Vice President and ultimately a Senior Vice President responsible for computer service and field engineering.

George then joined Amdahl, one of IBM's major competitors in the mainframe computer industry, where he rose to become National Director of Service for large mainframe computer systems. His final corporate chapter was with Motorola, where he served as an executive overseeing services and field engineering. After a distinguished career spanning decades in the computer services industry, George retired from Motorola in 2002.

George was a self-made man whose drive and determination were matched only by his curiosity and enthusiasm for life. While he was enormously accomplished in the corporate world, his professional achievements were matched by another lifelong passion: fishing.

George earned his six-passenger U.S. Coast Guard captain's license at the age of 17. His original ambition had been to run a party fishing boat out of Montauk after completing his Navy service. Although life took him down a different and highly successful career path, he never lost his love for the water.

After retiring from Motorola, George renewed his captain's license and finally returned to the pursuit he had dreamed about as a young man. He started the first saltwater fly-fishing charter business in San Diego Bay, sharing his knowledge and passion with countless clients from around the world. He also became a regular speaker on a local fishing radio talk show in San Diego and wrote numerous articles for fishing magazines.

George was an avid and exceptionally skilled fisherman. He loved tying his own flies, studying the water, matching the hatch, and figuring out how to put his clients on fish. For George, fishing was never simply about catching a fish. It was about understanding the water, the conditions, the equipment, and the challenge. He was always learning, always experimenting, and always looking for the next opportunity to improve. But for all of George's accomplishments in business and fishing, his greatest love was his family, and especially his wife, Alice.

George met Alice while they were students at East Hampton High School. They married in 1958, beginning a partnership and love story that lasted nearly seven decades. Through every chapter of their lives, George's love for Alice only grew stronger. She was his first love and his greatest love. Fishing may have been his lifelong passion, but Alice was always the center of his world.

George was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, father-in-law, brother, and friend. He had a remarkable ability to make friends wherever he went. His quick wit, infectious charisma, funny stories, and genuine interest in people made him unforgettable. It often took only a few minutes of meeting George for someone to feel as though they had known him for years.

He had a special gift for making people laugh, making people feel welcome, and creating an immediate bond with those around him. George's energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and his generosity of spirit left an impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him.

George lived a life defined by determination, accomplishment, adventure, family, friendship, and love. From the fishing boats and clam beds of Montauk to the deck of a Navy destroyer, to the highest levels of the corporate world, and finally back to the water with a fly rod in his hand, George always followed his own path.

George was predeceased by his beloved son Norman George Tuthill. He is survived by his beloved wife, Alice Mary Peterson; his son, Gregory Tuthill and daughter in law Tracey Tuthill; his daughter, Cynthia Waldman and son -in-law Russell Waldman; his brother, Edwin B. Tuthill; four grandchildren; and one great-grandson. He will also be deeply missed by the many family members and friends whose lives he touched throughout his remarkable life.

His legacy lives on in the people he loved, the friendships he made, the lessons he taught, the stories he shared, and the countless memories he created along the way. George's first love was Alice. His second love was fishing. And he never stopped pursuing either one.

A memorial service will be held on February 19, 2027, at the National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in George's memory.