Glenn Tolle
Dates
November 19, 1961 - February 20, 2024Obituary
Glenn Tolle, 62, of Emery, SD, died Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls due to complications arising from stage four pancreatic cancer only a month after the original diagnosis. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Monday, February 26, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial will be at Bridgewater Cemetery in Bridgewater, SD. Visitation will be Sunday from 1-3:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel.
Glenn Alan Tolle was born on November 19th, 1961, to Berlin and Madge (Jones) Tolle as the oldest amongst two other siblings – Gary and Kim. He met the love of his life, Nancy Shaw, at Point Pleasant, West Virgina and married her on February 19th, 1983. Together, they had three children, Sarah, Ryan, and Shelby.
Glenn had a military career with the U.S. army spanning 28 years, 4 months, and 1 day as he liked to say. He was inducted as an officer candidate early in his career and was deployed to many high-stress environments during his tenure, including Operation Desert Storm (Armor Platoon Leader, D Co, 3-73 Armor, 82nd Airborne Division), Operation Iraqi Freedom (Task Force Olympia C9, Civil Affairs, Mosul, JAN '04-JAN'05), and Operation Enduring Freedom (Future Operations / Stability Planner, NATO International Joint Command Headquarters, Kabul, Afghanistan JUL '11-JUN '12). He was also a graduate of Naval Postgraduate School with a Master’s Degree in Defense Analysis
Glenn was never one to rest on his laurels. Upon retiring from active duty in February 2013 as a Lieutenant Colonel, he pursued a master’s in teaching out of Saint Martin’s University in Olympia, Washington, acquiring it in 2014 before launching into a career as a high school world history instructor. He taught at Timberline High School in Lacey, Washington for two years before moving to South Dakota to be closer to his grandchildren, where he continued to teach at Lincoln (1 year) and Roosevelt (5 years) high schools in Sioux Falls, until the date of his cancer diagnosis.
His favorite hobbies included chess, word puzzles, musical instruments, reading, gaming, and gardening. Rarely did a day transpire without him sharing one of his groan-worthy puns.
Glenn is survived by his wife, Nancy Tolle; daughter, Sarah Koerner; son, Ryan Tolle; daughter, Shelby Tolle; granddaughters, Brynna Koerner and Amara Koerner; grandsons, Ian Koerner and Galen Koerner; sister, Kim Tolle; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Gary.
Visitation(s)
Sunday, February 25, 2024
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Bittner Funeral Chapel
805 W Havens Ave
Mitchell, SD 57301
Service
Monday, February 26, 2024
10:30 AM
Bittner Funeral Chapel
805 W Havens Ave
Mitchell, SD 57301
Cemetery
Bridgewater CemeteryBridgewater, SD
My heart sunk when I learned of his illness. Glenn was always a perfect gentleman and I will miss him. His life of service was clearly impactful and he made a difference in this world.
Nancy and family, I hope it brings you some comfort knowing that many people are mourning with you. May God be with you, each one, and sustain you in the days ahead.
My sincerest condolences,
Kimberly Michalski
With my deepest sympathy,
Debbie
But I got to see Glenn from a whole different angle. A consummate professional, he possessed many qualities that made an Operations Center, at any level, sing. Insightful, incisive, analytical, firm, and very kind. He will be greatly missed.
Fly high Mr. Tolle â¤ï¸
My dear friend and big brother-in-arms crossed the great divide way ahead of schedule and it makes me mad, but there’s no one to be mad at. It also makes me deeply sad. Sad because I’ll miss him, but more sad for his family; sad for his students; sad for the future students who won’t get to know and be influenced by Mr. Tolle; sad for this country he loved with all his heart and soul.
I first met Glenn Tolle in the fall of 1980 at a dinky private religious school in West Virginia. We chatted for a while that first day of school and Glenn at some point asked me about my academic ambitions. It was the first time I had ever really considered that I could actually do well in school if I cared. I decided I did care and, thanks to Glenn’s inspiration, went from a C average student, prior to that day, to a total academic geek; 4.0 through the last two years of high school, bachelor’s, master’s, military schools, etc. Glenn lit that fire in my bosom. I’ve always been grateful.
Glenn excelled at everything he put his heart, body, or mind to. He enlisted before I did and became a paratrooper in the storied 82nd Airborne Division. I enlisted a couple years later and became “a dirty leg†in the 10th Mountain Division. He never held it against me. 😉 He went on to become the 82nd Airborne Division’s Trooper of the Year in 1987, completed Army Ranger School shortly thereafter and then went to Officer Candidate School, commissioning as an armor officer. One of his early promotions as an officer was in Saddam Hussein’s former palace, if memory serves, while on a combat mission during Desert Storm/Desert Shield.
Anyway, we both stayed in and retired years later. We never actually served in the same location more than a month or so, but crossed paths and periodically kept in touch.
I retired and took up teaching Russian at a military institute, a couple years before he hung up the suit. He told me then that he planned to teach also when he retired. He did just that a few years later and spent the last decade shaping young minds in high schools. By all accounts, he was a beloved teacher and mentor.
So, my big brother in arms and fond friend of many years, it is with a heavy heart that I stand on this side of the gulf over which you’ve passed and render the sharpest salute I can muster.
RIP LTC (Retired) Glenn Tolle,
-Chess Master
-Black Belt
-Banjo and guitar picking warrior
-Thinker and scholar
From my generation’s perspective - a decade behind his - he was a shining example of what we all could be, if only we shrugged off our self pity, lack of confidence, and simply tried our best.
Less than a month ago LTC (R) Glenn “GT†Tolle learned he had cancer. He passed away today. He was a giant of a man and his loss leaves all of those he positively impacted, (family, Soldiers, students, friend,and loved ones) in a painful place and somewhat bewildered state of mind at how fast the disease took him.
In a world of people who often put themselves first, Glenn was a true leader who put others first, and did so daily. A master of so many things, chess, banjo, martial arts, international affairs, my own “Wordle Golf,†and social studies, I am sure his current students are simply crushed.
God bless you, Airborne. Your loss hurts so many of us who admired you so deeply. There was no finer person, than you, Glenn. I thank Providence for your exemplary standard, and for my chance crossing of paths with you when I was so young and being lucky enough to sustain those ties.
Thank you, Sir.
🪂 â¤ï¸ðŸ¥²ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸