Colonel Lawrence Hoover Bullis passed away peacefully at home on July 24, 2026, surrounded by love, with his wife of 67 years by his side. He was 89 years old.
Born in Washington, DC on October 24, 1936, Larry was the son of Commander William F. Bullis, USN, and Lois Hoover Bullis, founders of The Bullis School. He graduated from The Bullis School in 1954 and went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned as an Infantry officer in the Class of 1958. At West Point, he sang in the Glee Club and served as a DJ on the cadet radio station, spinning early rock and roll, jazz, and the hits of the day – the beginning of a lifelong love of music.
His military career took him from the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg – where he earned his Master Parachutist Badge and accumulated more than 130 jumps – to Okinawa, Japan, where he served with the 503d Infantry and as interim Aide-de-Camp to Lieutenant General Paul Caraway, High Commissioner of the Ryukyu Islands. He continued his service in the United States Army Reserve for more than two decades, rising to the rank of Colonel, serving with the 354th Civil Affairs Brigade in support of US Central Command, and retiring in 1991 after 33 years of total service to his country.
In 1965 Larry joined the staff of The Bullis School, teaching mathematics for sixteen years before becoming Headmaster in 1981, a position he held until 1991. During his tenure, he transformed the institution: relocating the school from Silver Spring to its current 102-acre campus in Potomac, Maryland: achieving the school’s first accreditation through the Middle States Association; leading its transition to coeducation; expanding the curriculum; and writing the school’s Alma Mater and Fight Song, which the students sing to this day. He was, in every sense, the architect of the modern Bullis School.
In retirement, Larry and Judy made their home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he raised beef cattle with characteristic dedication – serving as President of the Pennsylvania Simmental Association, as a member of the Pennsylvania Beef Cattlemen’s Association, and participating in the Pennsylvania Farm Show and Expo and committees. He served alongside Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Sam Hayes on the building committee for the Livestock Evaluation Center near State College. He was a devoted member of Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder on the Session and sang in the church choir for more than 25 years. He also sang with the Gettysburg Civic Chorus, and was a proud member of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA) for more than 40 years. Throughout it all he remained true to his lifelong love of music – a thread running from his days spinning rock and roll and jazz on the West Point cadet radio station, through the West Point Glee Club, and across decades of choral singing in every community he called home.
He approached every chapter of his life with the words of John Milton close at hand: “The mind itself can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven.” Those who knew him saw that philosophy in action every day.
He is survived by his wife, Judith Taggart Bullis of Gettysburg, PA; his children William John Bullis of Seattle, WA, Cynthia Bullis Vasco (Kevin) of Washington, DC, and Edward L. Bullis (Catherine) of Germantown, MD; seven grandchildren; his brother William “Bill” Bullis (Anne) of Onancock, VA; his sisters Starr Lafayette (Parky) of Pikeville, TN, and Faith Bullis Mace of Crystal Beach, FL; and a legacy that lives in every road, building, and voice raised in song on the campus his family built.
A funeral service will be held at Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, 208 Baltimore St., Gettysburg, PA 17325 on Friday, July 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
A memorial celebration of his life will be held at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland on Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM – what would have been his 90th birthday.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gettysburg Presbyterian Church, 4-H of Adams County, Pennsylvania, or The Bullis School.
The Monahan Funeral Home is assisting the family with funeral arrangements and online condolences may be made at monahanfuneralhome.com.