Obituary: Griffeth Edward Tully | SierraSun.com
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Obituary: Griffeth Edward Tully

Griffeth and#8220;Griffand#8221; Edward Tully, born November 4, 1936, passed away peacefully on December 20, 2010, at his cabin near Alpine Meadows, CA, after a long illness. He was born in Sacramento, California to Dorothy May Griffeth Tully and Pierce Edward Tully. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gayle Fry Tully, to whom he was married 50 years. For much of their married life, they lived together in Castro Valley, CA.

Griff and Gayle met in the 1950s on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The Lake Tahoe area was a place of joy and solace to them their whole lives.

Griff graduated from the University of Southern California and University of California, Hastings School of Law. He was a practicing attorney and public defender of Alameda County youth until his retirement. He was a member of the Alameda County Bar Association and the State Bar of California.



Griff was dedicated to serving his community. He served as President of the Castro Valley Little League and the Castro Valley Girls Softball Association when his children played in those leagues. He was a long-time member of the Castro Valley Rotary Club and served as president in 2000-2001. He also served as a director on the Mt. Eden Cemetery Board for the past 30 years.

During his lifetime, Griff traveled extensively for Rotary International. Griff and Gayle immunized children against polio in Ethiopia and Ghana in the 1990s. They also traveled to Guatemala and Honduras to help with relief from Hurricane Mitch in 1998.



Griff is survived by three grown children: Grayle Alice Tully James (married to David Kendrick James), Sugar Land, TX; Griffeth William Tully (married to Karen Emanuels Tully), Menlo Park, CA; and Gwyn-Mohr Pierce Tully (married to Dianne Pinkham Tully), Carmichael, CA.

Griff had 10 grandchildren: Kendrice Elizabeth James, Kendrick William James, Kathrin May James; also William Mason Tully, Grace Chamberlain Tully, John and#8220;Jackand#8221; Griffeth Tully; and Marian Elizabeth Tully, Alice Pinkham Tully, Patrick Griffeth Tully, and Pierce Hondius Tully.

Griff is also survived by his sister, Barbara Ann Williams of Boulder, Colo.

A private burial service for family will be held at Mt. Eden Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Griff’s memory may be sent to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, http://www.rotary.org, One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-3698 or Save Cal Baseball at http://www.savecalbaseball.com, 1801 N. California Blvd., Suite 101 Walnut Creek, CA 94596-4133.


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