Wilford H. Tully, a respected local general contractor for many years, died at the Veterans Administration hospital in Westwood on June 10. He was 86. Tully, the son of Wilford and Elizabeth (Howard) Tully, was born in San Francisco in 1922 and moved to Los Angeles as a child. He graduated from Fairfax High School and attended Loyola University on the G.I. Bill. During World War II, Tully served in the 302nd Depot Repair Squad of the U.S. Army Air Corps in India. He was awarded the Bronze Star for outstanding service in 1945. Tully was a profound thinker and reveled in storytelling. His personal philosophy was formed in part by his upbringing during the Depression, his Army service in India, and the education he received from the Jesuits at Loyola. He enjoyed his retirement at home in the Marquez neighborhood where he had lived since 1973 with his wife, Monica (Roche) Tully, a Santa Monica native. Together, they spent many hours working in their garden and nurturing a small menagerie of cats, dogs, parrots, squirrels and a few errant mallards. Recently, Monica’s granddaughter, Stephanie Coleman, and her daughters, Britlyn and Brianna, have lived with the Tullys and have provided loving care and support. In addition to his wife, Tully is survived by his loving daughters, Pamela Tully Price (husband Robert) of Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, and Kathleen Tully-Fried (Jeremy) of Lake Oswego, Oregon; his grandchildren Brian Tully Price, Emily Kathleen Price and Zachary Tully-Fried; Monica Tully’s son, John Polkinghorn; and Monica’s many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A private service will be held. Donations may be made in Wilford Tully’s name to support The Serenity Park Sanctuary, a nonprofit parrot refuge and therapeutic facility on the grounds of the V.A. Medical Center. Send to The Association for Parrot C.A.R.E, P.O. Box 84042, Los Angeles, CA 90073 (www.parrotcare.org./donations.html).
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