HOOD RIVER NEWS ARTICLE BY ESTHER SMITH (STAFF WRITER)

Longtime Hood River resident and artist Norman Tucker died December 10, 2005 at his home, at the age of 86.

Art was his life, and he painted right to the end, his sister, Priscilla "Pat" Tucker, said.

"He was still doing art," she said. "He had a lot of troubles with his back and couldn't get out and around much, so he had dropped out of the Art Club some time ago, but he was still painting."

Tuck was one of the original members of the Hood River Art Club, and was the first elected president.

The club was founded in 1949, and met in the mezzanine area of the original Tuck Store, which was and Third and State streets.

the store, started in the 1920's by his father, Harold Tucker, was primarily a feed and seed and garden supply store, but branched out to include art supplies s in the 1940s after Norman came back from a four-year stint in the service to earn a degree from the University of Oregon School of Art.

His father; an art collector himself, wanted to encourage Norman's artistic bent, so in addition to selling art supplies he expanded the mezzanine to provide the store exhibit space and an area for classes.

"At first I didn't want to teach classes," he told the Hood River News in 1984. "The I found out I enjoyed it... I think he was happy I did it - his mother had painted, " he said, referring to his father;

In 1950 the store was moved to Tucker Road - "No relation," his sister says - south of Hood River, and became more focused on art supplies - no more feed and seed. The elder Tucker retired in 1955, and Norman took over store ownership 9in 1964. He sold the business in 1978, when he also retired.

During the 1960s, Tucker and fellow artists Phil Tyler and Gilbert Clarke all taught art classes, and, according to Priscilla, her brother also taught occasionally at the high school. His retirement has been spent mainly painting, she said.

A memorial service was held March 29, 2006 at Riverside Community Church. "That's his birthday," Priscilla said. "We'll celebrate both his life and his birthday.