Robert T Tuten

Robert (Bob) Thomas Tuten, 78, of Byron, IL, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday morning, July 30, 2023 , with family at his side and while listening to his granddaughter sing during the Grace Valley CRC worship service. Bob was born on January 19, 1945 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Jesse and Ruth (Haddy) Tuten. He graduated from Eddystone High School in Pennsylvania and The King’s College in New York. After college, he attended Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. On September 7, 1968, Bob married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Comer, and they began their married life in Philadelphia while Bob completed seminary. While Bob was in seminary, he was an assistant minister at Grace Chapel Reformed Episcopal Church. Following his graduation from seminary, Bob moved with his wife to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he worked as a minister at Providence Chapel Reformed Episcopal Church. In 1972, Bob left the ministry to begin what would be a 40+ year career in publishing, beginning with a position as an Associate Editor at Garden State Publishing in Sea Isle, NJ. After Garden State Publishing was sold to WATT Publishing in 1977, Bob did some freelance work until he accepted a full time position with WATT Publishing as Editor of Industria Avicola and moved with his wife and three children, his wife’s parents, as well as their friend, Keefe, to the Midwest in the middle of the brutal winter of 1979. They settled in a home in Mt. Morris, IL, where they raised their (soon to be) five children and resided until October of 2021 when he and Nancy moved in with their daughter and her family in Byron, IL. As the Editor of Industria Avicola , Bob traveled throughout Latin America, an endeavor which was audacious in its own right, but even more so given he did not write or speak fluent Spanish when he took on this role! To remedy this, Bob spent time in Bolivia living with a family and learning the language after accepting this position. In addition to Industria Avicola , at various times Bob was also Editor of Industria Porcina ( a pork production magazine), WATT Poultry Yearbook , and Who’s Who . In 1995, Bob added the position of Marketing Director to his responsibilities. Early on he recognized the potential for the internet to revolutionize the publishing industry. He took a big leap out of the editorial side of the print business to develop an online presence for Watt Publishing as Director of Electronic Media Services, a position he held until his retirement in 2014. At the time of his retirement, Bob had worked for WATT Publishing for more than 35 years. Bob’s faith was the foundation of his life. He knew the unconditional, sacrificial love of his Heavenly Father and he sought continually to model that for his own family. Bob was an active member of Grace Valley Christian Reformed Church for over 40 years, serving as Superintendent of Sunday Schools, a deacon, an elder, and editor of the church newsletter. He was also a representative to the denomination’s Classis Northern IL and to Synod, as well as a delegate to the Home Missions team. Lest anyone worry that Bob’s seminary degree was put to waste, all of his children and many friends and family benefited from his vast Biblical and theological knowledge and knew his enthusiasm for a good theological debate! Some of Bob’s other hobbies included photography, gardening, and cooking. Bob was also a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, and relished in their 2016 World Series victory. Bob is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Nancy; daughters, Kristin Tuten of Wheaton, IL and Laura (Chris) Harland of Byron, IL; sons, Matthew (Kelly) Tuten of Pagosa Springs, CO, Stephen (Elisabeth) Tuten of Conifer, CO, and Joel (Maria) Tuten of German Valley, IL; his nine grandchildren, Benjamin, Kaitlyn, and Madison Harland, Alice and Jesiah Tuten, Micah and Jonah Tuten, and Elena and Olivia Tuten; his two sisters, Carol Eskridge and Hope (Alan) Bretherick of PA; his sister-in-law, Antoinette (Philip) Vella of Dixon IL; many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and a whole lot of grand-dogs, grand-cats and grand-chickens! Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law Jack. A visitation will be held at Grace Valley CRC, 8210 E. Edwardsville Rd German Valley, IL, on August 5, 2023, from 10:00 A.M. until service time. A celebration of Bob’s life will be held at 11:00 A.M. in the church. Following the service an extended visitation and meal will be shared. The burial will take place in Plainview cemetery in Mt. Morris, IL. The family would like to express their gratitude for the care Bob received through Serenity Hospice and Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Serenity House in Oregon, IL. (The contents of this obituary have been edited, revised, rewritten, edited again, revised again, and rewritten for a second time, in accordance with how Dad edited EVERY paper we had to write growing up)