Marie Goff-Tuttle

Marie Madeleine Jeanne Goff‑Tuttle (née Jaume) passed away peacefully on April 27, 2026, surrounded by three of her grandchildren and loved ones, just outside Saint‑Rémy‑de‑Provence, France. Marie was a force of nature, a lifelong educator, and a deeply compassionate human being who influenced and helped more people than we may ever know.

Born on December 21, 1934, in Toulon, France, Marie was the only child of Capitaine Léon Jaume, a French naval captain and recipient of the Médaille de la Légion d’Honneur, and Germaine Bergès‑Yeu, who was active in the French Résistance. Marie grew up in Nice and Avignon, and spent the war years at a small boarding school in Morzine, in the French Alps, remaining there until 1945.

Marie later lived in Paris, graduating with honors from the Sorbonne. A Fulbright Scholar, Marie spent a year at Central College of Iowa in Pella, followed by a summer in California, where she met her first husband, John Harry Goff, at a soirée in Kenwood. Together they had four sons.

Marie reared her family in Sonoma and San Rafael, and earned a Master’s degree in Education from Dominican College (now Dominican University). She began her teaching career at Davidson Middle School before moving to San Rafael High School where she taught French for 33 years. Well known for her dedication to her students, Marie also organized and led cultural exchange trips for her pupils at San Rafael High School to France and Québec year after year. In recognition of her commitment and contributions to the French language, she was decorated by the French government.

Following her retirement, Marie continued to tutor students throughout the Bay Area, led conversation groups for more than two decades, and even taught elementary school at the Lycée Français and French classes at the College of Marin.

Marie also reared three of her grandchildren, including one from the age of three weeks — even bringing him to school in a basket and hiding him discreetly under her desk at San Rafael High School.

Her second husband, Dr. Robert S. Tuttle, passed away in 2021.

Marie is survived by her four sons, Jean‑Louis, Steven, Gordon, and Raoul; eight grandchildren; five great‑grandchildren; her beloved dog Moussia; and her tortoise Catherine.

A funeral service will be held in Mollégès, France, on May 12, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Marie will be laid to rest in her father’s family cemetery in Arles, France. A Celebration of Life will be held in San Rafael, California, in early June; details to follow.

Marie will be dearly missed. As the words from one of her favorite books teaches us:

« On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. »

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

(Le Petit Prince, St-Exupéry)