Jeffery Scott Tuetken

Jeffery “Jeff” Tuetken passed away after a 10-year battle with colon cancer. Jeff was born in Alton, Illinois to Louis Tuetken of Alton and the former Kathryn Kopuster of Livingston, Illinois. At a young age, they moved to Novato, California where Jeff attended Lu Sutton Elementary School and Hill Junior High School. He graduated from Novato High School and briefly attended College of Marin. He enlisted in the Navy and was trained as an electronics technician, nuclear reactor operator, and engineering watch supervisor. He was stationed in San Diego several times including two tours on the USS Permit at submarine base Ballast Point. He also served as a staff instructor at the nuclear power training unit in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Jeff then completed a BSEE degree at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (near Alton, Illinois). He took a position in San Diego with GAMMA-METRICS (now called Thermo Gamma-Metrics and part of Thermo Fisher Scientific) where he worked for 25 years on neutron flux monitor instruments. He was a state-licensed professional engineer. He also worked for General Atomics Electronics Systems radiation monitoring groups for 5 years.

Jeff was married for over 31 years to and is survived by his college sweetheart, the former Reba Carmean of Alton, and later Godfrey, Illinois. In San Diego, they raised one son (Adam) who graduated from Torrey Pines High School, UC Berkeley, and Georgetown Law, and one daughter (Alyssa) who graduated from Torrey Pines High School and UC Santa Barbara. Both are now enjoying successful careers in their field of study.

Jeff’s hobbies included sailing, in which he, Reba, and crew campaigned the sailboat Expeditious to several trophies. He competed in many local running, cycling, and triathlon events. He completed two half-Ironman races (70.3 miles) after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments for stage 3 colon cancer, and one full Ironman race (140.6 miles) in under 15 hours after being diagnosed with a stage 4 tumor in the lung.

Jeff is also survived by his mother, now Kathryn Nagel and brother, Gregory, both of Novato; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Sharon and Terry Carmean of Godfrey; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Monique and Joe Seago of Godfrey; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Cortne and Tony Carmean of Carlsbad, California and their children, Jacob and Lauren.

There will be a Memorial and Celebration of Life, with military honors, on Monday, January 20, 2020, at 4 p.m. at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego, CA 92121. This will be immediately followed by a reception at Crust Restaurant, 4653 Carmel Mountain Road, San Diego, CA 92130.

Jeff will be interred at Miramar National Cemetery in a private ceremony.