Sidney "Sid" Paul Tuesley

Sidney Paul “Sid” Tuesley passed away on May 21st, at the age of 84, after complications with COPD and Heart Disease. Sid was born on February 24, 1942, to Paul and Mae (Hendrix) Tuesley. He was the oldest of two boys and grew up in South Bend, Indiana, graduating from South Bend Central High School in 1960.

Sid went on to study pharmacy, like his father, at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. As an undergraduate he was a member of The Rho Chi Society, “Pharmaceutical Honor Society”, Beta Mu Chapter. After graduating in 1964, he became a registered Pharmacist in the State of Indiana and moved back to South Bend to get experience at the family pharmacy. After a couple of years, Sid moved to Jamaica, Queens, New York to pursue his postgraduate work at St. John’s University. His graduate work focused on investigating sampling methods for volatile pharmaceutical aerosols and in 1967, his Master of Science Thesis established a sampling device that would allow analysts to accurately test aerosol products without compromising their efficacy. Later in 1968, Sid passed his boards again to become a Registered Pharmacist in the state of New York.

While at St. John's, Sid also worked as a Teaching Assistant to undergraduate Pharmacy students. It was here that he befriended an undergraduate student who was looking for an apartment for herself and her sister. As luck would have it, there was a vacancy in Sid’s building and the two sisters moved in to become his neighbors. The younger of the two sisters was Mary Louise (Mary Lou) Harris. After spending time together as friends, Sid and Mary Lou found themselves without plans one New Year's Eve. Instead of sitting home, dateless, the two decided to go out-on-the-town and the rest soon became history. Sid and Mary Lou fell in love and were married August 7th, 1968.

Soon after getting married, Sid and Mary Lou moved back to the mid-west to start their new life together in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sid opened Tuesley Pharmacy (later known as Tuesley-Crill Pharmacy) in 1969. The pharmacy became a beloved neighborhood general store known for its traditional soda fountain and over-the-counter apothecary services. The pharmacy operated for several years before the larger box pharmacies moved in, threatening the livelihood of the smaller mom-and-pop drug stores. It was around this time that Sid parted ways with his partner and became a full-time Pharmacist at St. Joseph Hospital. Unbeknownst to anyone, working at St. Joe would be the catalyst to a career change for Sid, and it all began when he won a computer at a hospital raffle. Sid had always had an interest in computers and once he had one of his own, he and his best friend, Larry Gould, a computer engineer, would sit for hours writing code after work and on weekends. Programming came easily to Sid, and he enjoyed it so much he made the decision to leave pharmacy at the hospital to pursue computer science in their IT department. To maintain his pharmacy license, Sid continued to work as a pharmacist at Keltsch Pharmacy for nearly 30 years. The hospital went through two acquisitions over the years to become what is now Lutheran Health Network and Sid remained loyal and hardworking as he moved up the ranks to the pinnacle of his career as Senior VP and CIO. Sid retired in 2009 after nearly 40 years.

Sid worked very hard to provide a good life for his family. However, he had a “work hard - play hard” mentality which provided balance for him throughout his life. Sid loved to sail. In the summer months, he and Mary Lou spent nearly every weekend, kids in tow, sailing and/or racing their 23’-0 S2 sailboat on Lake Wawasee. In the winter months, Sid played racquetball and he and Mary Lou took part in a bowling league that competed every Friday night. When Sid and Mary Lou sold their boat in the early 2000s, Sid switched from sailing to golf and became particularly active with Coyote Creek Golf Club as both a player and a Board Member. In 2005, Sid scored his first (and only) Hole-in-One on the 3rd Hole.

Sid and his family spent most of their vacations around the water. These vacations included fishing and water-skiing at Burt Lake in Northern Michigan, enjoying the sand and surf at the Beaches in Florida, sailing in Abaco with friends and a family cruise to the Bahamas. Sid and Mary Lou would later own a timeshare in Cancun which they would frequent twice a year and then a Condo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Sid enjoyed Science Fiction in every form and probably owned every Beta Tape, VHS Tape and CD in the Star Trek franchise. He would play video games, specifically, Pac-Man and Centipede, with or without another player, and he enjoyed watching football and basketball, particularly during the playoffs. Sid was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association of America. He donated to several organizations that supported our military men and women. Finally, Sid and Mary Lou had their favorite restaurants which they would frequent so much that they developed friendships with the owners, bartenders and other patrons.

Sid embodied quiet strength and hard work. He was a loyal husband, friend and employee. He was a formidable role model for his children, teaching them to live their lives with open minds, fairness and good ethics. Sid had a smile that could light up a room and a laugh that would make you chuckle. Sid was a fun-loving, intelligent, fair and gentle man.

Sid is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Lou (Harris); their children, Jennifer (John) Hoge, Parker, CO, and Jeffery Paul (Roxanne) Tuesley; two grandchildren, Samantha and Nathan Tuesley, Fort Wayne, IN; and several beloved nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Service will be held for Sid at 1:00 PM on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes –Pine Valley, 1320 E. Dupont Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46825. Visitation will take place from Noon to 1:00 PM. A reception to follow.

A Celebration of Life will be held later this summer with details to be announced.

Fond memories may be shared at www.mccombandsons.com for the family.