Forrest Travis Tutor was born July 13, 1927, in a sharecropper shack in Randolph MS and died December 12, 2025, at Lochinvar in Pontotoc MS at the age of 98. He was a self-described lover, runner, motorcyclist, fighter, joker, adventurer, outdoorsman, naturalist, auto enthusiast, reader, historian, author, and healer. After enduring his boyhood through the Great Depression, he determined to better himself, his family and others. With diligence and perseverance, he progressed from Naval hospital corpsman through college on to Cornell University Medical School. He completed his neurosurgery training through internship and residency at Duke and University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Forrest was an admired professor for many years at the University Medical Center in Jackson Mississippi. After moving to private practice in neurosurgery at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, MS, he specialized in trauma and therapeutic neurosurgical interventions where he undoubtedly touched many lives.
He loved his last home place Lochinvar and restored it three times over 60 years.
He is survived by his wife Janis Carole Edmonds Tutor, daughters Jeanine (Bill) Gregory of Okolona MS, Jeri Hobson of Jackson MS, Juli (Steve) Mills of Brookhaven MS; sons Forrest Travis Tutor II of Bat Cave NC, Gordon Fontaine Tutor (Jenn) of Mills River NC; 11 grandchildren and 25 great grands.
He was preceded in death by his father Harvel Wyatt Tutor and mother Cleo Anderson Tutor, sisters Marie Blaylock, Ara Luttrell and Vara Waldo.
The family extends special gratitude to Annie P. Brown, Donna Y. Ewing and Katherine R. Souter for their kindness and dedication to caring for his needs in his last years.
Funeral services will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Tupelo MS at 3 pm (Visitation 1:30) on Friday 12/19/2025, Reverend Phillip Parker officiating. Cremains will be interred at Lochinvar at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Operation Smile, St. Jude, Tupelo Humane Society or a charitable organization of choice.
