Lt. Col. (Ret.) Deanna Tuley was a highly decorated Air Force veteran, an accomplished attorney and a dedicated leader within the American Red Cross. During her remarkable life, she continued a deep connection to her Chickasaw heritage.

Tuley was an avid scholar who excelled in academics. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in foreign service in 1976, Tuley received her commission through officer training school. In 1982, she obtained her Juris Doctorate at the Washington College of Law at American University after being accepted into the Air Force Funded Legal Education Program.

Tuley served in several significant legal positions in North Carolina, Washington, D.C., Colorado and Washington state. She retained admission to the bar of Washington state, Colorado, Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as the bar of the Supreme Courts of the United States, Virginia and Colorado. Her contributions to the Air Force had a profound and positive impact on security and the Department of Defense. After 20 years, Tuley retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1998. She was honored with the Defense Superior Service Medal, the second-highest non-combative award in the Air Force, as well as four Meritorious Service Medals.

In retirement, Tuley obtained an advanced degree in conflict resolution from Pepperdine University. She managed her own legal practice, where she supported First Americans and underrepresented groups, and fought for their right for mediation.

The passion and commitment that defined her Air Force career carried into Tuley’s volunteer service. She began breeding and training golden retrievers to serve as hospital/therapy dogs. While working with the American Red Cross, she organized and trained a team of dog owners which would become the largest animal visitation program in the country. Tuley co-authored the animal visitation program guidelines that are standard for Red Cross teams. She was a volunteer with the American Red Cross from 2009 until her passing in 2023 for which she received the Fort Carson’s Exemplary Volunteer Service Award.