Remembering Professor Mark Tulley:
By: TYRA LEESMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Professor Mark Tulley died on Dec. 9, 2018, during finals week. Tulley taught Personal Finance and International Business on the Meramec campus, and was a respected member of the faculty for 14 years. He was an avid volunteer, loved to travel with his wife, Annette, and always took time for the important things in life, according to his friend and colleague, Professor Amy Monson. “[He] will be missed by his friends for the genuine interest he took in them and their interests, his advice, sense of humor and emails or texts that brightened a day. He didn’t just share in the fun times either, as a true friend he would stick out the bad times with you too,” said Monson. Tulley was known to be early to his classes, greeting students in the hallway with a big smile, according to Monson. He would playfully command them to “get to class” and was appreciated on campus for having frequent and meaningful interactions with his students, even after they were no longer taking his classes. “Professor Tulley was generous with his time, meeting students to provide insight on business or investing decisions,” said Monson. The business professor was passionate about the volunteer work he did, according to several faculty members who were also close friends with him. “We were chatting in the parking lot. I asked him what he was doing that evening. He had a big smile on his face and his eyes lit up. He told me that he was taking some of his students to a homeless shelter and they were cooking and serving a meal. He described with great joy how much the students benefited from this and how they talked about it for so long afterward and looked forward to doing it again. You just knew how much he enjoyed helping others and showing students the benefits of helping others,” said Dr. Vicki Ritts, professor of psychology. Professor Tulley’s devotion to his students earned him the Advisor of the Year award in 2016. “Mr. Tulley is a significant loss for our department. […] He was a solid member of our team,” said Professor Pam McElligott. “You can’t control people’s impressions of you, but you can influence them,” Tulley said in a 2018 interview with The Montage. According to Monson, Tulley was often known to repeat the phrase, “You never get a second chance to make a good impression.” Friends of Tulley were eager to comment on the impression he made on their lives and the influence of his life and character on the students, school, and the world itself. “I think there are always so many things that go through your mind when you try to compose your thoughts about a friend who meant a lot to you. You just take for granted that the person will always be there and then the reality hits you that everything is just so transitory,” said Ritts. Multiple sources lauded the late professor in much the same way. According to coworkers, students and friends alike, Tulley was considered a “caring” and “fun” person, having an “infectious” laugh. He was a “fierce” friend. “The loss is just devastating on both a professional and personal level. We have lost a passionate, compassionate, and dedicated professor. […] Words can’t articulate how much he will be missed. […] He loved the students wholeheartedly. His infectious laugh will always remain in my memory,” Dr. Ritts said.
