Lois W. Tulenko

On September 13, 2025, Lois Wagner Tulenko, aged 89, passed away peacefully in Columbus, OH. She was born in 1936 Lois Anne Wagner to the late Cyril Wagner and Lois (Gill) Wagner in New York City. She graduated from the University of Connecticut and started working at United Nuclear. There she met the love of her life, James Tulenko.

They settled in Lynchburg, Virginia to raise their family. While there, she obtained a Masters in Library Sciences from the University of Virginia. She explored her love of wine and fine food by opening the Southern Gourmet, a wine and cheese shop. She loved art and was an avid art collector and imported antique embroideries from China. She loved to ski and play tennis. Lois had a close group of friends in Lynchburg and enjoyed bridge, dinner clubs, and frequent parties with them.

When the family moved to Gainesville, Florida, Lois found another wonderful group of friends and enjoyed outings to the Hippodrome Theater and Kanapaha Gardens. In Florida, Lois continued to develop her bridge skills and started to play competitively. She was a voracious reader and read all types of novels from murder mysteries to historical dramas. She loved traveling and was blessed to be able to travel extensively with her family. She enjoyed helping students in her work as an administrator at the Santa Fe Community College.

Most of all, Lois loved her family. She was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife and mother. She supported the interests of all three of her children, especially during their most formative years. She always told us how much she loved us, and was always there for a hug and a kiss.

A memorial service will be held at the Bristol Senior Living Community on Friday, September 19, 2025 at 1pm. The service will be streamed online at: https://tinyurl.com/wazemubd. Lois will be interred at Christ Episcopal Church in Dover, Delaware, next to her mother Lois Gill Tulenko, her brother Max Ruehrmund, and her sister-in-law Trudy Ruehrmund.

She is proceeded in death by her parents listed above and her brother Max Ruehrmund. She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, James Tulenko, her brother Jim Wagner (spouse Chris Lundsford), her son Mark Tulenko, daughter-in-law Cindy Grace and grandchildren Brad Tulenko (spouse Valerie Tulenko and great grandson Tripp Tulenko), Tyler Tulenko (spouse Corrigan Tulenko) and Kassie Tulenko, her daughter Christina Tulenko, son-in-law Ralph Ruppe, grandchildren Nick Ruppe, Max Ruppe, Theo Ruppe and Miles Ruppe, her daughter Kate Tulenko, son-in-law Ken Heyman and grandchildren Ren Heyman and Freya Heyman, her brother-in-law John Tulenko, sister-in-law Karelie Tulenko, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Lois Wagner Tulenko to Kanapaha Gardens https://kanapaha.org/donate or Reading is Fundamental https://rif.org/give