Paid Notice: Barbara Tuttle Traphagen passed away peacefully at home in East Hampton on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the age of 94.
“Bobbie,” as she was affectionately called, was born in New York City on July 22, 1930. Her parents were Virginia T. Bartlett and W. Guertin Tuttle. She was educated at Convent of the Sacred Heart and later attended Finch College. The family spent weekends in Bellport, NY and later in East Hampton where both sets of grandparents had homes.
Bobbie initially married Edward “Teddy” May and resided in Pittsburgh, PA. They enjoyed weekends and holidays at Rolling Rock and Palm Beach, FL, where her mother was living at the time. They had two children, E. James May and Sara D. May. This marriage ended in divorce.
She later married Ross E. Traphagen, Jr. and moved to Morristown, NJ. They had two children, Laura T. and Judson B. Traphagen. At that time, they hired Mary Jacquis to live in and help with the four children. Eventually, the couple bought a home in Jupiter Island, FL. and spent their winters there.
Bobbie was a volunteer at the Morristown Neighborhood House. When in nearby New York, she frequently attended the theater, philharmonic and ballet. She loved to cook and entertain, but her real passion was music, especially American Popular Song, to which she loved to sing and dance.
An avid gardener wherever she lived, Bobbie was a member the Morristown Garden Club in New Jersey, the Jupiter Island Garden Club in Florida, and the East Hampton Garden Club.
Eventually, Bobbie divided her time between New York and Vero Beach, FL with her adored Jack Russell, Annie.
It was in Vero that she met Stanley Zweckbronner. Partners for 20 years, he was an integral part of her life until the day she died.
Several years ago, Bobbie returned to East Hampton full-time. She considered East Hampton home and attended St. Luke’s Church every Sunday that she was able. She was a third-generation member of the Maidstone Club.
Bobbie is survived by her younger brother Winslow Tuttle; her four children: Jamie, Sara, Laura, and Judson; and her four grandchildren: Phillip May, Charlotte, Henry and Edward Traphagen.
A memorial service will be held at St. Luke’s Church in East Hampton on August 9th, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, East Hampton.
