William Hershey Tullis

Bill was born in Lubbock and grew up chopping cotton on his family’s farm, until the family moved to San Angelo when he was an adolescent. Bill was a wonderful father to his two sons, Brandt and Gabe, and devoted to his late parents, Dave and Beulah, and to his brother, David. After graduating from Central High in San Angelo, he attended Texas Tech University, and then medical school at UT in San Antonio. He did his psychiatric residency in Denver at the University of Colorado, where he served as chief resident.

Bill was a psychiatrist with unwavering devotion to the well-being of his patients. He considered taking care of them to be a privilege. He had a large circle of friends, some who have been running, swimming, and biking together for many years, including running 25 marathons and 13 triathlons. He and friends were fixtures at Jo’s Coffee shop on weekend mornings, and would even receive free coffee due to being such loyal customers.

Bill often said the best decision he ever made was marrying his wife, Jane, 37 years ago in Denver, where they met during medical training. Theirs was a happy marriage. Bill and Jane traveled around the world together, exploring all seven continents. A high point of one trip was when Bill and his brother-in-law, Greg rode their bicycles up Mont Ventoux, which is considered the toughest ride in the Tour De France.

Bill and Jane also spent as much time as possible on Bill’s family homestead ranch, working the land and looking after the resident wild horses and other wildlife.

Bill was a good man who lived a good life. He was also hilarious, with a devastating sense of humor. He was brilliant, a true intellectual with deep knowledge of history, art, philosophy, psychology, science, and literature. He was thoughtful, constantly reflecting on life’s deepest questions and filling notebooks with poetry. Bill was compassionate, always aware of peoples’ needs. He was a leader, able to engage an audience of hundreds, yet perfectly content to stand quietly in the background. He was kind and gentle, yet not someone to be messed with. He was tough, not letting sub-freezing temperatures interrupt his weekly swim at Barton Springs.

He is survived by his wife, Jane; son Brandt, and daughter-in-law, Lindsey; son Gabe and his girlfriend, Sara; granddaughter, Reese; brother, David; his sisters-in-law, Barbara, Joan, Jennifer, MaryBeth, and Janice; his brothers-in-law, Jeff, Greg, and John; his nieces, Jennifer, Nicole, A.J., and Maddie; his nephew, David; as well as his many beloved cousins.

Memorial services will be held at 10am on Saturday, October 19 at the chapel at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar, Austin, Texas 78752. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meals on Wheels, Environmental Defense Fund, or Planned Parenthood.

“You should always go to other people’s funerals.

Otherwise, they won’t come to yours.” - Yogi Berra