Jean Riggles Offutt

Jean Riggles Offutt was born August 29, 1924 in Washington DC. Her parents, Mary Agnes Van Horn Riggles and Laurance Hopkins Riggles, were both native Washingtonians who lived in the District their entire lives. Her father was an insurance executive.

Mrs. Offutt attended District schools James F. Oyster Elementary, Alice Deal Junior High, and the National Cathedral School; later graduating from Stuart Hall in Staunton VA. at the age of 16. She then went on to college and attended Duke University in Durham NC.

In 1943, Mrs. Offutt married William E. Offutt, Jr., a graduate of Georgetown University, who at that time, was a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. While her husband was in the military, Mrs. Offutt was employed at the State Department. Her first position was in the War Materials Division, serving under Secretary of State Cordell Hull. She left the State Department briefly to join her husband at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, before he was deployed to the War in the Pacific, where he fought at Iwo Jima.

Mrs. Offutt returned to the State Department in 1944 and worked in the Division of Communication and Records. She was soon promoted to the Office of the Secretary of State, under Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., where she was in charge of the confidential working files used by the Secretary of State. When Stettinius was appointed to the newly-created United Nations as the first US Ambassador, she continued working in the same capacity for Secretary of State James F. Byrnes. In 1946, her husband returned from the war and she left the State Department.

Mrs. Offutt moved to Arlington VA in 1950. She devoted herself to raising her family and helping her husband with his business; building developments of single-family homes and apartments throughout Northern Virginia in the 1950’s,1960’s and early 1970’s.

Upon returning to the workforce in 1970, at the age of 46, Mrs. Offutt first worked in the personnel industry before joining the National Sales and Service Office of ITT World Communications, where she worked for eight years, receiving awards and recognition for her outstanding sales performance.

Mrs. Offutt then moved to MCI Communications Corporation as a Customer Support Representative for MCI Mail, one of the first commercial email services in the United States. She was promoted to a Customer Service Supervisor, then to Customer Service Manager. Mrs. Offutt retired at the age of 78, in 2002, after nineteen years of service to the company.

She was a history buff, enjoyed an impassioned discussion of politics and current events, was a devoted fan of the Washington Senators and the Washington Nationals, as well as Washington’s football team, did crossword puzzles every day in ink, and during her retirement, read voraciously.

Mrs. Offutt died at home on June 3, 2022. She was predeceased by her husband who died on May 6, 2004. She is survived by her children: William E. Offutt III (Carolyn) of McLean VA, Jean O. Lewis (Todd) of Lancaster VA, Barbara O. Mosby (Robert) of Williamsburg VA, and Robert L. Offutt (Cris) of Annandale VA. She is also survived by three grandchildren: William R. Offutt of McLean VA, Carolyn J. Offutt of McLean VA, Julia M. Evanko of East Windsor NJ, her great grandson, Joseph Christopher Evanko of East Windsor NJ, and her niece Courtney D. Best of High Point NC, who lived with the Offutts after the death of her parents.

A visitation for friends and family will be held on Monday, June 20 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM and the Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, June 21 at 11:00 AM at Murphy Funeral Homes of Arlington, 4510 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22203.

Mrs. Offutt will be laid to rest with her husband at Quantico National Cemetery in Quantico VA.

Charitable donations, in memory of Mrs. Offutt, should go to either The Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind or the American Cancer Society. Floral gifts are welcome.