Des Moines Register
LYLE E TATUM
SANDY SPRING, MARYLAND
published on April 08, 2006
LYLE E TATUM
Sandy Spring, Maryland
Lyle E Tatum, 87, died quietly April 3, 2006 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Family members were with him at Friends House, Sandy Spring, MD, where he and his wife of 40 years, Florence Giffin Tatum, lived. Hospice provided invaluable support.
Lyle was a native Iowan, born a Quaker in West Branch on October 26, 1918. He was the eldest of three children born to Clio and Elmer Tatum, formerly of Knoxville. His brother, Arlo Tatum, lives in Bodmin, Cornwall, England. His sister, Ellen Tatum, formerly of Cedar Rapids and Marion, is deceased.
He graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1936 and in 1942, from Iowa State College (University). He had earned 100% of his college tuition. Lyle was happily married to Elizabeth (Bickie) Lindsay Tatum from 1942 until her death in 1964. In 1943, he served as Superintendent of Quakerdale, a home for foster boys in New Providence, Iowa.
His life as a pacifist was devoted to working for nonviolent ways of achieving world peace. During World War II, he was imprisoned for refusing induction into any branch of the military service. He served as Executive Secretary of the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and for many years was an administrator and consultant with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in a number of places. He spent four years in Salisbury (Harare) Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), as the AFSC South Africa representative, meeting with all political leaders and others in an effort to improve race relations during a time of colonial rule. He assisted with observations for elections on Zimbabwe's independence. In 1987, he edited the AFSC book, South Africa, Challenge and Hope.
Lyle and Florence traveled world-wide helping to remove the seeds of social injustice. For many years after their return from Africa, he was on-call for a wide variety of Quaker work.
He was "Sloppy Joe" to his children and grandchildren when he served up pancakes, popcorn and ice cream cones. He laughed infectiously and was poet, storyteller, double crostic solver, untiring gardener, fisherman, wood chopper, ping- pong and billiard player. In one of his final poems he wrote: "Let's do all we can to see the good in every person."
He is missed by his wife, Florence; his brother, Arlo; six adult children: Steven Tatum (Iowa City); Susan Tatum Taylor, (Tallahassee, FL); Jeannine Giffin, (Columbia, MD); Larry Giffin Tatum (Cinnaminson, NJ); Diane Giffin Fernsler (New York, NY); and Brian Giffin, (Washington state); cousins, Virginia Tatum (New Providence) and Eleanor Hoover (Oskaloosa); grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be held at Haddonfield Friends Meeting, Haddonfield, NJ on April 22, 2006.
Friends who so desire may make contributions in Lyle Tatum's name to the American Friends Service Committee or the Friends Committee on National Legislation.