Ira Earl "Uly" Tunnell, MD
OCTOBER 17, 1931 – MARCH 5, 2020

Funeral services for Ira Earl “Uly” Tunnell, 88, of Tyler are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the chapel of Lloyd James Funeral Home with Pastor Zachary Tunnell officiating. Burial will be in Tyler Memorial Park.

Ira passed away on March 5, 2020 in Tyler surrounded by his children. Dr. Tunnell was born on October 17, 1931 in Tyler to Holland B. and Rubye Tunnell. He married the love of his life, Jeanie Tunnell on April 28, 1951 in Tyler. 

Ira graduated from John Tyler High School in 1948 and Tyler Junior College in 1950. In 1951, he attended Southwestern University in Georgetown and in the same year joined the United States Air Force. Ira was honorably discharged in 1955 after achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in 1956 from North Texas State University. He taught school from 1956 to 1963 in Baytown and Tyler and while teaching he completed his Master’s in Education from Texas A&M University. In 1967, Ira was awarded the Gold-Headed Cane Award for the most conscientious student over the 4 years of medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. The medical student body voted on the award. Ira did his internship in Greeley, CO at Weld County General Hospital and his residency in Psychiatry at Austin State Hospital. He was the Deputy Commissioner of MHMR Austin from 1971-1974. He started his Psychiatric private practice in 1974, which lasted until 1987 when he became co-owner of Minirth-Meier, Tunnell and Wilson Clinic in Austin and San Antonio. In 1998, Ira founded the Genesis Treatment Center in San Antonio and owned the facility until 2004 when he began working for Locum Tenens. He completed his career in Psychiatry in 2016 at the Andrews Center in Tyler. 

Ira is preceded in death by his wife Jeanie of 63 years. He is survived by his four children, Ed Tunnell and wife Trina of Hawkins, Deadra Gage and husband Mike of Corsicana, Lee Tunnell and wife Bea of Oklahoma City, OK and Jena Tunnell of Denton. 

He is also survived by his grandsons Nathan Tunnell (Shawna), Zachary Tunnell (Deanna), James Tunnell and John Gage; granddaughters Sarah Tunnell, Julie Williams, Emily Fite (Nathan), Debbie Sanches (Heath), Natalie Cleveland (Cole) and Jessica Tunnell. His great grandchildren are Tristan, Noah, Malachi, Hosanna, Coplen, Bethany, Carter, Caroline, Autrey, Casyn, Daxtyn, Riley, Beckett, Owen, Lucas, Deacon Jack, Cash, Lace and Duke. 

The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at Lloyd James Funeral Home for a visitation prior to the service.