Guille Erminia Vasquez was born in Greencastle, IN, on 19 September 1948, to Ralph Vasquez and Mabel Reed. With her parents following teaching opportunities, she grew up in Texas, Mexico City, the Los Angeles area, Tijuana and Mexicali. In 1963 she moved to Calexico, CA, where she met her husband to be, Rodney Tuttle. They married on 14 July 1965 in Brawley, CA.
In 1969 they moved to El Cajon so Rodney could attend San Diego State University. She initially worked as an assistant auditor at a commercial insurance company but soon started a home care service to be at home to raise their 2 children, Rodney and Brian.
In 1980 she started assisting her husband with technical artwork design. She specialized in printed circuit board artwork and had many clients. In 1982 the couple started the successful GET Engineering Corp. providing technical equipment to the US Navy.
While being a business woman growing her company, she was also actively involved with her children's activities as well as many civic functions. For many years she coached her children and her nephews in both youth soccer, little league baseball, and youth basketball. Her duties included field preparation, scorekeeping, umpire, snack shop, recruiting sponsors, etc. She even organized the first ever basketball cheerleading group for the youth basketball league.
Civic services included leading the drive to build a new multipurpose facility for the Alpine Community Center, hosting youth after school programs and the senior citizen food program. She then lead the drive to develop the Olaf Wieghorst Western Heritage Center and Museum, rescuing from demolition the El Cajon home of famous western artist. She recruited volunteers and donated services and moved the house and adobe out buildings to the museum site.
When the Alpine Veterans' Wall of Honor was established she sponsored 10 memorial plaques, one each for her veteran relatives.
She also actively supported the future generations by establishing the RGT trust and provided scholarships to more than 40 deserving students attending local colleges and vocational schools. Other scholarships were given through the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, and Cumberland College ( on behalf of her mother ).
Her generosity also extended to grants to many local civic organizations like the McGrath Family YMCA, the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, the USS Midway Museum, the Heritage of the Americas Museum, the Alpine Historical Society, and the San Diego Humane Society.
An accomplished pilot, Guille enjoyed taking cross country trips with her husband in her own airplane. Over the years they made many trips to visit relatives, ski with friends, or for business. In her spare time Guille indulged in many hobbies including gardening, sewing, china painting, genealogy, landscape painting, knitting, and making jams and jellies from the many fruit trees in her garden.
Guille passed away at her home early Thursday morning, 20 February 2020, after a long period of disability and suffering from effects of Lupus. Late Wednesday night, when the end was near her husband Rod, sons Rodney and Brian, daughter in law Liz, sister in law Elizabeth Tuttle, cousin Mike Reed, and friend Jennifer Beckman gathered by her bedside to hold her hand and give her comfort. Mike used her guitar and sang her a couple of comforting songs. They were all at her bedside when she passed.
Guille is survived by her husband, Rod, son Rodney ( wife Liz ), son Brian, grandsons, Nick and Andrew ( wife Miranda ), great grand kids, Aurora and Rhydian, her 103 year old mother, Mabel Stenstrom, twin brothers John ( wife Yolanda ) and Mike ( wife Hilda ) and their families, and best friend Jennifer Beckman. She also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Her memorial services will be on Friday, 28 February 2020. Guest greeting and public viewing at East County Mortuary, El Cajon, CA, will start at 10 AM with the memorial service at 11 AM, Rev John J Crepeau officiating. The interment service will follow at 2 PM at Singing Hills Memorial Park, El Cajon, CA.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking for donations in Guille's name to two charities that meant the most to her. The Humane Society and San Diego Habitat Conservation.