David Lawrence Tuleen, beloved son of Lawrence and Alma Tuleen, passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by family, on August 16.
David obtained his doctorate degree from the University of Illinois, where he met and married the love of his life, Jean Brummer. In 1963, he was recruited by Vanderbilt University to teach organic chemistry. At Vanderbilt he developed a reputation among students as being tough but entertaining, and in 1970 he was awarded the Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. In 1974 he entered the field of university administration, holding the positions of associate dean of the College of Arts and Science, associate provost for administration, and finally special assistant to the provost. In 2006 he was awarded the title of Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus.
David was an active member of First Lutheran Church, where he served his congregation teaching Sunday school to children and adults, singing in the choir, assisting in worship, and in countless other ministries. He served on the board of the Pastoral Counseling Center and volunteered at Room in the Inn.
Music was a source of great joy for David, and he spent many happy years performing in musicals with Circle Players, with the Nashville Symphony Chorus and with the Nashville Opera Association. David and Jean were avid travelers and spent their retirement years visiting exotic locations around the globe. Most notable were lengthy annual trips to Turkey, where they enjoyed exploring backroads and villages. David was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs and was thrilled by their 2016 season.
David is survived by his wife of sixty years, Jean; children Elissa (George) Clark, Karin (Vincent) Dunn, Julia Tuleen, and Lucia (Walker) Vining; 13 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and siblings Kathryn Yarger and Neal Tuleen.
The family will have a private service and burial with a public memorial service at a later date.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that gifts be directed to ELCA World Hunger Fund (ELCA.org/foundation) and Room in the Inn (RoomInTheInn.org).
