Jane Allen Tullis Offutt

1943 - 2022

Jane Allen Tullis Offutt
November 20, 1943 - February 10, 2022
Lexington, Kentucky - Jane Allen Tullis Offutt died peacefully in Lexington, Kentucky on February 10, 2022, at the age of 78. She was born November 20, 1943 in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the daughter of the late Mary Jane Talley Tullis and Bishop Edward Lewis Tullis. As those who knew her will say, Jane Allen was a force of nature; everything she did, she did with a glint in her eye and passion in her heart. She is survived by her husband, William Nelson (Bill) Offutt IV, MD, and their children, Jane Scott Offutt Hodges (Philip) of New Orleans, Louisiana, and William Nelson Offutt V (Grandison) of Georgetown, Kentucky. She is also survived by her brother, Col. Frank Lloyd Tullis (Janet) of Williamsburg, Virginia. Nothing brought her more joy than her four grandchildren: Jane Talley Hodges, Philip Nalty Hodges, Jr., William Nelson (Wilkes) Offutt VI and Emeline McLean Offutt. Jane Allen attended high school in Frankfort, Kentucky before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in business at the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority and where she met her future husband. After a career at IBM, she left the private sector to serve on the City Council in Georgetown, Kentucky. The implementation of ambulance services for the city was a particular highlight among the many positive outcomes of her tenure there. Not content to rest on her laurels, in 1981 she ran for mayor, making history as one of very few women to run for mayoral office in the state at that time. Jane Allen was never afraid of failure and was dedicated to working as an activist throughout her life. In 1986, she took on the State of Kentucky in challenging the incentives granted to the soon-to-be built Toyota factory in Georgetown, insisting that the plant as designed would contaminate the nearby Elkhorn Creek. The outcome of this action, for which she and Bill sought no personal financial reward, led to the construction of an on-site wastewater treatment plant that likely saved the Elkhorn Creek by treating effluent before it left the factory property. She led her community in ways that did not make headlines as well, chairing numerous events for charity, all while raising a family, first in Georgetown and later in Lexington, where she worked tirelessly to fundraise as a parent at The Sayre School. Forever a hostess, she loved to entertain, often for the benefit of the causes that were most important to her, including The Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, Hospice of the Bluegrass, The Kentucky Horse Park, and the Headley-Whitney Museum amongst many others. She had a passion for historic houses and a knack for restoration and décor, with her homes often featured in tours benefiting local organizations. In the year 2000, she parlayed this passion and talent into a career, forming Offutt Realty, focusing on the great farms and historic properties of the Bluegrass. A Memorial Service will be planned for the spring at Miller's Run Farm. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, Jane Allen's family would suggest a donation to Bluegrass Navigators (formerly Hospice of the Bluegrass) or Lexington Hearing and Speech Center.