William P. Tuggle, Iii

William P. Tuggle, III, age 82, died on February 29, 2016 at Lakeside at Willow Valley. He was the husband of Gretchen Kuyk whom he married in 2014.  He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ann Folger Tuggle, whom he married in 1955.  He was the son of Col. William P. Tuggle, Jr. and Grace Streety Tuggle of Williamsburg, Virginia.

In addition to his wife Gretchen, he is survived by his three sons, their wives and their children: William Coke Tuggle and Donath Patterson Tuggle of Portsmouth, Rhode Island; F. Folger Tuggle, Elizabeth Julian Tuggle and their daughter Isabelle Jun-Ji Tuggle of Norwich, Vermont; and Mark Preston Tuggle, Nicole Pepin Tuggle and their sons Preston Alexander Tuggle and Spencer William Tuggle of Western Springs, Illinois.  He is also survived by his brother Ralph Edward Tuggle and his wife Cleadys of Independence, Virginia and by three sisters-in-law and their husbands: Sue and Joe Converse of Augusta, Georgia; Jane and Benjamin Crutchfield of Buchannan, West Virginia; and Ruth and John Gillis of Fayetteville, North Carolina.  He will be missed by Gretchen’s three children, Kristin, Stacy and Peter and their families.

Bill was a member of the Willow Street United Church of Christ and Lancaster Country Club and resided at Willow Valley Retirement Communities.

Bill graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina (UNC) under a NROTC scholarship, followed by three years in the U.S. Navy as a supply corps officer, returning to UNC completing a MBA program in 1959.  He began a distinguished career in banking in Virginia, moving to New Jersey in 1964 to join Somerset Hills National Bank. Through mergers and acquisitions he led successive organizations until retiring in 1990 as President, First Fidelity Bank, N.A. New Jersey, and Senior Executive Vice President and Director, First Fidelity Bancorporation.  He then joined Howard Savings Bank (New Jersey) as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until his ultimate retirement in 1992.

During his thirty-three year banking career, Bill served in leadership roles for many professional organizations including Vice Chairman, New Jersey Bankers Association; member, Association of Reserve City Bankers, and the Comptroller of the Currency’s Regional Advisory Committee on Banking Policies and Practices.  He also served as the Director of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce and as a trustee for the Somerset Hills Chamber of Commerce.

His extensive civic affiliations have included terms as a trustee for: Drew University, Gill School, Methodist Homes of New Jersey, Somerset Hills United Way, Family Counseling Service of Somerset County, and Bernardsville United Methodist Church.  He also served on the advisory boards of Centenary College and Somerset County Community College. He was the Finance Chairman for the Boy Scouts of America (Hills District) and also served as Scout Master.

A memorial service will be held in Willow Street United Church of Christ, 2723 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street, PA, 17584 on March 7 at 10 AM.  The family will greet friends immediately following the memorial service.

Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Willow Street United Church of Christ (at the address above, The Salvation Army, 131 S. Queen St., Lancaster, PA, 17602 or Hospice and Community Care, 685 Good Dr., PO. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA  17604-4125.