Lisa Anne Hunt Tally

Lisa Anne Hunt Tally, age 60, of West Lafayette, Indiana died July 12, 2025, of an undetected heart condition. She is survived by her husband Steven Tally, her two children Anne and Benjamin Tally, and brothers Robert (Bob) and William (Bill) Hunt. Born in Tennessee, at Vanderbilt Hospital, Lisa grew up on the family Angus cattle farm in Pleasant View just outside of Nashville. After graduating from Cheatham County Central High School, Lisa attended the University of Tennessee, graduating with a B.A. in English and earning induction into the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Only family members and a few very close friends knew the extent of Lisa's modesty and humility regarding her intellectual achievements. While at Tennessee, Lisa intentionally made sure that she received an A- in a single course so that she would not graduate with a 4.0 grade point average, which she considered too flashy. Lisa's college roommate posted on Facebook that she first learned that Lisa was the valedictorian in the College of Liberal Arts College when it was announced at their graduation. Lisa had not mentioned it to her roommate-nor did she later mention it to her husband despite 35 years of marriage. Lisa's husband only learned of this accomplishment when reading Judy's condolence note following Lisa's death. After graduation, while considering graduate school, Lisa took the GRE entrance exam. When she received her scores, she opened the envelope and burst into tears. "I got a zero!" she told her husband. Steve took the piece of paper from her, looked at it, and said, "No, sweetie, that's the number of questions you got wrong. You received a perfect score." A similarly little-known example of her amazing mind was her ability to mirror-write-write text backwards so that it could only be read in a mirror-as easily as she could write in longhand. For her immediate family, and only her family, she would quietly add that this was a skill she shared with Leonardo da Vinci. Lisa applied her incredible intellect as an editor, beginning her professional career as a magazine copyeditor at 13-30/Esquire (later Whittle Communications), after which she became a book editor for Que Computer Books (later Macmillan Publishers). Lisa next moved to Purdue University, where she served as Director of Engineering Communications, Assistant Vice President for the Purdue for Life Foundation, and Director of Editorial Services. Her family jokingly referred to her as "the reluctant executive" because she was always a bit dismayed and even a bit put out as each new promotion came her way. In the months before her death, Lisa was having fun writing a satiric novel about university development fund-raising inspired by the often-comedic highs and lows of higher education. Lisa loved to spend her time at the intersection of logic and creativity. As an accomplished musician, Lisa played piano in the orchestra for more than two dozen local musical productions, from Horton Hears a Who to her most recent production, Urinetown. She loved to support the arts, attending theater productions locally, on Broadway, and abroad. Lisa cared deeply for others, regardless of how near or far, and was strong in her convictions. Later in life, she became particularly involved in civic affairs, learning how best to translate her beliefs into acts of service in her community and even serving as a delegate to the Indiana Democratic State Convention. As a member of the St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Lisa served as a church pianist for over 30 years, and as teacher in the Sprouts class for two- and three-year olds. She also volunteered with the church's ministry for homeless families as well as for the local homeless shelter. Lisa was very active and enjoyed playing tennis and bicycling with friends. In the summer of 2023, she and her husband enjoyed a week-long cycling tour along the Normandy and Brittany coastlines in France. She loved going on trips with family and friends, and before her untimely death she had plans for many more trips exploring the U.S. and the wider world. Visitation will be from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Soller-Baker West Lafayette Chapel, 1184 Sagamore Parkway West in West Lafayette. Visitation will be from 2:00 pm until the time of the service at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, July 20, at Saint Andrew United Methodist Church, 4703 N 50 W, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Pastors Brian Cook and Tim Burchill will be officiating. Burial will follow in the West Lafayette Grand View Cemetery. As a tribute to Lisa's life of letters, in lieu of flowers, please commit to using the Oxford comma.