William Jackson Tully

William Jackson Tully Sr. William Jackson Tully, Sr., 82, died Saturday morning, March 8, 2008, at his home in Tallahassee. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, at Wildwood Presbyterian Church, 100 Ox Bottom Rd, Tallahassee, Fla. The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the service. Burial will be at Roselawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Boulevard, Tallahassee 32308. Jack was a native Floridian, the descendant of two pioneer Wakulla County families-the Tullys and the Pigotts-who settled there in the 1850s. He was born in Tallahassee and graduated from Leon High School where he played both football and baseball. Upon high school graduation, Jack joined the United States Navy, Amphibious Division. He served during World War II on the LST US 914 in both the European and Pacific Theaters. After discharge from military service, Jack received a football scholarship to the University of Miami. As soon as he heard that Florida State College for Women was becoming co-educational, he abandoned Miami and enrolled at what was known then as "TBUF" (Tallahassee Branch of the University of Florida). Within a few months, TBUF became Florida State University, and President Doak Campbell and Dean Coyle Moore immediately began plans for fielding a football team. The Florida State Seminoles kicked off for their very first game on October 18, 1947, with Jack playing the position of right guard and serving as Team Captain. Jack played the first two years, but then left the team to concentrate on graduating. He received his BA in Social Welfare in August of 1950. Jack's professional career included several years as an Executive and Camp Director for the Boy Scouts of America and owning and managing Varsity Dry Cleaners in Tallahassee. He retired from the State of Florida Department of Business Regulation after twenty years of service in its Land Sales Division. In the intervening years since College graduation, the things of utmost importance in Jack's life have been his Lord and his Church; his family and Florida State University athletics. Jack became a Christian during his youth. He was an ordained as a Deacon and then an Elder in the Southern Presbyterian Church (PCUS) in the 1960s. He served on the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee for many years, and during that time was active in the organization of a new denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America. He participated in the organizational meeting of both, Gulf Coast Presbytery in April 1973, and the PCA General Assembly in December 1973. In October, 1976, he became one of the three organizing Elders of Tallahassee's Wildwood Presbyterian Church (affiliated with the PCA) and served as Clerk of the Session there for 12 years. The 1947 FSU Football team scattered after graduation until 1967 when the University Athletic Department honored them with a special banquet during Homecoming weekend. No further reunions were held until 1977 when the team decided to begin a yearly reunion. Jack has spearheaded these reunions each year since. In addition to Wildwood Presbyterian Church, Jack is also a member of the Seminole Boosters, the Florida State University Alumni Association and the Tallahassee Elks Lodge. Jack was preceded in death by his parents W. C. Tully and Winnie Pigott Tully, brothers Leon C. Tully, James C. Tully and Robert H. Tully; and sisters Lillie Mae Abstein, Elizabeth Payne and Mary Frances McGinty. He is survived by his wife of 49 years Sue Hancock Tully; children Bill Tully of Enterprise, AL; Melinda Tully of Atlanta, GA; Maribeth Tully Alte (husband Greg) of Winter Park, FL; Laura Tully of Tallahassee; and Jan Tully Cochran (husband Jeff) of Lambertville, MI.; grandchildren Jack Tully III and Robert Tully (wife Alison) of Tallahassee; Seth Alte (wife Ashley) of Charlotte, NC; Caleb Alte and Rebekah Alte, Winter Park FL; Jackson Cochran, Susannah Cochran and Elizabeth Cochran of Lambertville, MI.; a sister Winifred Tully Hughes (husband Ed) of Lake Wales; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.