Janna Kay Tullis

Janna Kay Tullis, 76, passed away peacefully at her home on January 2, 2026. Born in Pendleton, Oregon, on October 17, 1949, she was the second of five children and lived a life marked by intellect, vision, compassion, and deep Christian faith.

Janna built a distinguished and nationally recognized career at AT&T, where she served as an executive specializing in marketing, customer care, and call center leadership. Beginning her professional journey with Pacific Northwest Bell while attending college, she quickly demonstrated natural aptitude and earned increasingly influential roles across the AT&T organization. She served as a marketing account executive, earned multiple performance awards, and later held regional, national, and international consulting posts.

She was recruited to Bell Laboratories as a Principal and technical consultant, where her work in operational process improvement, customer care strategy, and executive alignment helped shape how major industries approached service and leadership. Known for her clarity of thought and professional integrity, she mentored future leaders, served on the AT&T Speakers Bureau, founded and directed the Northwest Call Center Managers’ Summit, and lectured at Portland State University. Her ideas were widely respected and informed strategic planning across sectors, including telecommunications, healthcare, banking, manufacturing, and forest products.

She retired early, leaving a legacy defined not only by titles but by lasting improvement and the people she influenced. Her faith was central to her identity, as well as her generosity and her calling to help others. Janna supported ministries locally and abroad, including electronic outreach, humanitarian work for an orphanage in Malawi, and mentorship for young women facing domestic violence, addiction, and crisis.

Psalm 37:4–6 (ESV) was particularly meaningful to her: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” That passage shaped her belief that faith, encouragement, and service could change the trajectory of a life.

While she achieved much professionally, her greatest joy was her family—especially her thirteen nieces and nephews and twenty-two great-nieces and great-nephews, who were truly her world. She was affectionately known as the “rent-a-kid-mom,” eagerly stepping in for birthdays, graduations, Disneyland trips, New York adventures, and countless ordinary moments. Janna was the glue that kept the family connected, the one who bridged generations, championed accomplishments, and nurtured relationships despite distance and time. She remained active through the end of her life—spending time with family, working at Dillard’s in Clarksville, Indiana, and always ensuring her family remained connected with her and with each other. Her creative traditions, surprises, and one-on-one connections leave memories that could fill a library, and her love for Jesus Christ will be remembered for generations to come.

She is survived by her three brothers and one sister: John Tullis Jr. (Deborah) of Portland, OR, David Tullis (Ann) of Bremerton, WA, Phillip Tullis of Charlestown, IN, and Liz Hobbs (Steve) of St. Helens, OR; along with her beloved thirteen nieces and nephews and twenty-two great-nieces and great-nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Lindsay Tullis Sr. and Ann Mae Tullis, and by her beloved niece, Alecia Tullis.

A graveside service will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, January 12, 2026, in Charlestown, Indiana, where she will be laid to rest. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ministries or organizations that invest in the spiritual growth, education, and well-being of others—causes that defined Janna’s life and legacy.

Though deeply missed, her influence endures in the people she taught, mentored, inspired, and loved. Her life was a testament to faith in action, a sharp mind in the service of good, and a gentle heart guided by purpose.