View source for Tuffield A. Latour



[[File:Tuffield%20A.%20Latour.jpg|right|]][[File:Tuffield%20A.%20Latour.jpg|right|thumb||Tuffield A. Latour ]] [[File:Tuffield%20Latour.jpg|left|]][[File:Tuffield%20Latour.jpg|left|thumb||Tuffield A. Latour in the 1930 ''[[Canaras|Canaras]]''| ]] [[File:Tuffy%20Latour%20WWII.jpg|left|]][[File:Tuffy%20Latour%20WWII.jpg|left|thumb||Tuffy Latour in World War II ]] [[File:Tuffy%20and%20Dew%20Drop.jpg|right|]][[File:Tuffy%20and%20Dew%20Drop.jpg|right|thumb||Tuffy Latour and [[Dew%20Drop%20Morgan|Dew Drop Morgan]]| ]] [[File:Tuffy%201948%20Bobsled%20Team.jpg|left|]][[File:Tuffy%201948%20Bobsled%20Team.jpg|left|thumb||1948 Olympic Bobsled Team at the [[Eagle%27s%20Nest|Eagle's Nest]]|. Tuffy Latour is at right, front row. Courtesy of Tuffield P. Latour. ]] [[File:Tuffy%20and%20Paul.jpg|left|]][[File:Tuffy%20and%20Paul.jpg|left|thumb||Tuffy Latour and [[Paul%20Dupree|Paul Dupree]]|, 1940s ]] [[File:SLHS%20Track%20Team%201928.jpg|left|]][[File:SLHS%20Track%20Team%201928.jpg|left|thumb||1928 Saranac Lake High School track team. Tuffield A. Latour is fifth from the right in the front row ]] [[File:Newsboy%20Badge.jpg|right|]][[File:Newsboy%20Badge.jpg|right|thumb||Tuffield A. Latour's Newsboy Badge]]'''Born:''' November 18, 1909

'''Died:''' July 3, 1965

'''Married:''' [[Elizabeth%20Kennedy%20Latour|Elizabeth Kennedy]], July 12, 1938

'''Children:''' Barbara, Elizabeth, Ann, [[Patrick%20K.%20Latour|Patrick K. Latour]]

'''Tuffield Albert Latour''', known as "Tuffy", was a member of the 1948 U.S. Olympic Bobsled team, finishing ninth in the two-man event at the [[Winter%20Olympics|Winter Olympics]] in St. Moritz, Switzerland. His brakeman was [[Paul%20Dupree|Paul Dupree]]. He worked as a mortician at the [[A.%20Fortune|A. Fortune]] Funeral Parlour, and later operated [[Tuffy%27s%20Tavern|Tuffy's Tavern]], created for him by friend and fellow bobsledder, [[Alexis%20Thompson|Alexis Thompson]]. He attended Notre Dame University for one year.

He was the grandson of [[Tuffield%20Latour|Tuffield Latour]], a stage driver and livery operator, and an early Saranac Lake [[village%20trustee|village trustee]].

And his grandson [[Tuffield%20P.%20Latour|Tuffield P. Latour]], a bobsledder for the US in the 1990s, coached the American women bobsledding team to a gold medal in the two-woman event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and coached the 2003 Men’s Bobsled 4-man to a Silver medal in the World Championships.

He was a [[World%20War%20II%20veteran|World War II veteran]].
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From the ''[[Adirondack%20Daily%20Enterprise|Adirondack Daily Enterprise]]'', July 6, 1965

'''Tuffield A. Latour'''

Tuffield A. Latour, 55, Olympic bobsledder and life-long resident of Saranac Lake, died suddenly around 6:30 Saturday evening at the Bishop camp at [[Franklin%20Falls|Franklin Falls]]. His home was at [[185%20Broadway|185 Broadway]].

Mr. Latour began bobsledding in the late 1930s. He always competed as driver of two-man teams and held the National Title at one time. His team placed fifth in the Winter Olympics at St. Moritz in 1948. He was born in Saranac Lake on Nov. 18, 1909 a son of James A. and Gertrude Rafferty Latour. He attended Notre Dame University and was a graduate of Collier's Funeral Directors school in New York City. At the time of his death he was a wholesale liquor salesman and at one time operated [[Tuffy%27s%20Tavern|Tuffy's Tavern]] on Broadway.

During World War II, Mr. Latour served in the United States Navy and was attached to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Marine_Division_(United_States)|4th Marine Division]] in the Pacific as a [[http://home.epix.net/~nooyawka/Phm2.htm|Pharmacist Mate]]. He took part in the invasion of Makin Island, Saipan and the Marshall Islands. The 4th Marine Division shipped out on 13 January 1944, and in 13 months made four major amphibious assaults, in the battles of Kwajalein (Roi-Namur), Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima, suffering more than 17,000 casualties. It was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations and a Navy Unit Commendation, and then deactivated 28 November 1945.

He was a member of the Elks, American Legion, Post 447, the Adirondack Bobsled club and a charter member of the [[Saranac%20Lake%20Bobsled%20Club|Saranac Lake Bobsled Club]].

Mrs. Latour, the former Elizabeth Kennedy, survives him. Other survivors are a son, Patrick with the Army at Fort Dix, N. J.; three daughters, Sister Brian Marie, R.S.M. of Dobbs Ferry, Elizabeth and Ann of Saranac Lake; a sister, Mrs. Mary Ryan of Trenton, N. J.; a brother, George, of Saranac Lake; and a half-brother, Leon, of Saranac Lake.

Friends may call at the [[Fortune%20Funeral%20Home|Fortune Funeral Home]] where an American Legion Service will be held at 7:30 this evening, an Elks service at 8 o'clock and a Rosary service at 8:30. Members of the Christian Mothers' Club will meet at the funeral home at 8:30 for the Rosary. The Rev. Kevin Conners of Morristown will celebrate a Funeral Mass at 10 a. m. Wednesday at [[St.%20Bernard%27s%20Church|St. Bernard's Church]]. Burial will be in [[Pine%20Ridge%20Cemetery|Pine Ridge Cemetery]].

Olympic bobsledders will be honorary pallbearers. Pall bearers will be [[John%20Duquette|John Duquette]], [[Charles%20Keough|Charles Keough]], [[Robert%20Ryan|Robert Ryan]], [[James%20Clark|James Clark]], [[Kenneth%20Wilson|Kenneth Wilson]], and [[Forrest%20Morgan|Forrest Morgan]].

'''External links:'''
* [[http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/la/tuffield-latour-1.html|Olympic Athletes at Sports-Reference.com]]
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Hospital_Corpsman|U.S. Navy Hospital Corpman]]

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