Jeanne Lippy "Midge" Cutright

Jeanne Lippy "Midge" Cutright died peacefully at her home on Thursday evening, August 13, 2026, after a full vigorous life of over 90 years before enduring a series of health issues over her last 3 years. She was born on April 26, 1933, in Alexandria, VA. Her parents were Harry Gilmore Lippy and Catherine Parker Lippy.

In her earliest years, she moved with her parents, as her father was a U.S. Army officer. During her grade school years, she was a ballet student taught by Zina Ouzarova in Washington, D.C. When her father returned home from “the war” (WWII), the family settled in their home in Arlington, VA. In junior high school, she was an active member of the drama club, glee club, cheerleader squad (elected Captain), cotillion, and the Monogram Club (for grades, activities, honors, etc.). She made the Honor Roll and was voted “Most Talented” member of her class. Besides school, she continued ballet training, took ballroom dancing classes and studied piano. During senior high school at Washington & Lee in Arlington, VA, Midge’s artistic talents grew and developed further. She was a member of the W&L Choir (100 singers that performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.) and a member of the W&L Girls’ Ensemble (9 singers who performed for banquets and events held by clubs and organizations in the D.C. area). She was also a member of the creative writing club, drama club, and Penman (literary magazine).

Besides school, she was a choir member at Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill (Episcopal), a piano student of Miss Margaret Alexander, a ballet/tap/ballroom dancing student of Mrs. Mary Cabel Calloway and an assistant instructor of ballroom dancing for Mrs. Calloway’s studio – all in Alexandria, VA. Midge attended cotillion events all over Arlington and Alexandria, VA and Washington, D.C. She danced in school variety shows and did exhibition ballroom dancing with a partner for various functions in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Athletically, she placed first in 1-meter competitive diving contests held at Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington VA in 1950 and 1951. Midge continued to expand and mature her artistic pursuits even further during her college years. In 1951 to 1953 while at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA, she continued her studies of voice and piano, was a member of the Terrapins club (competitive water ballet group) and won first place in the Intermediate Equitation contest of the annual MWC horse show in 1952. In the summers away from college, she worked as a clerk-typist for the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in Washington, D.C. In mid-1953, Midge transferred to Penn State University in State College, PA finishing her college years there earning a BA degree majoring in Theater in 1955. While at PSU, she won leading roles as “Evalina” in Bloomer Girl, “Jeannie” in an original student musical produced and directed by members of the Thespians, and “Sharon” in Finian’s Rainbow. She acted in several “5 O’clock Theater” productions (experimental theater—original one-acts which were written, produced and directed by students), placed first in her Junior Class Talent Contest (singing), placed second in the All-Penn State Talent Contest (singing), taught creative dance to a group of 10-12 year old boys and girls as part of PSU’s Children’s Theater program, directed The Damask Rose for the State College Women’s Club, sang for banquets/conventions and events for clubs and organizations, and was song leader for her Alpha Zi Delta sorority. During the summer of 1954, Midge performed in the Bull Run Summer Theater in Middleburg, VA. Her principal “summer stock” roles were “Patsy” in Girl Crazy, “Gladys” in Skin of Our Teeth, “Aunt Trina” in I Remember Mama, “Corliss Archer” in Kiss and Tell, and “Marian” in The Heiress. She also sang, danced and acted in a musical version of The Drunkard.

After college, Midge worked as a secretary for the REA again, as well as The White House stenographic pool. She spent 3 months in New York City making “rounds” auditioning for parts in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. While there, she studied voice with her uncle Earl Lippy and Kay Holly. She lived at The Rehearsal Club where aspiring young actresses, dancers and entertainers stayed while seeking steady performing employment in NYC, and she worked various jobs to stay in the Big Apple pursuing acting roles (graphotypist, hat-check girl, usherette, cake-packager, waitress, etc.). When she stopped auditioning, she sought and accepted a position working for the U.S. Army’s Special Services organization as a civilian social director planning activities, organizing interest groups and directing entertainment/recreation events for servicemen stationed in Germany in the late 1950’s. It was there that she met her future husband, Eugene Albert “Gene” Cutright, who was an officer in the Army. After returning home to the USA and working for Special Services for 9 months at Fort Belvoir in VA, she married Gene on May 21, 1960. They moved to Charleston, WV after Gene’s honorable discharge from the Army when he accepted a chemical engineer manager trainee position with Monsanto. In October of 1961, their first son was born, followed by their second son in October of 1965. Once settled in Charleston, Midge resumed her social and artistic activities with gusto. She served as Secretary for the Newcomers Club, Vice President then President of the Monsanto Wives Club (which included a Bridge club) and Recording Secretary for her sorority’s alumni organization. She was an active member of the Panhellenic Association, Edgewood Swim Club, Charleston Intown Tennis Club, Army-Navy Club and Latin Dance Club. She sold tickets as staunch supporter of the Community Concert organization, gave creative dramatics instruction for the “Sunrise” Children’s Museum and provided pre-concert music appreciation lessons for grade school children as a member of the Charleston Symphony Women’s Committee. She directed Jack and the Beanstalk at the St. Albans’ Little Theater for Charleston Children’s Theater, and she garnered leading roles in the Charleston Light Opera Guild’s musical productions of Brigadoon as “Fiona” and Little Mary Sunshine as “Mary Potts”.

When Gene accepted a promotion with Monsanto, the family moved to New Orleans for one year where they attended St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, and Midge was a member of the New Orleans Junior Opera Guild where she sang and danced for the guild’s annual fund-raising revue. When Gene accepted a plant manager position with Betz Laboratories, the family moved to Macon, GA where Gene oversaw construction of the Betz plant and managed its successful operation for many years until becoming Betz’ regional executive for its southern U.S. plants prior to his retirement. Once settled in Macon, Midge had another burst of social and artistic involvement in her community. The family attended Christ Episcopal Church in the early to mid-1970’s, and Midge was an active member of many Macon civic organizations for several years spread across the decades of the 1970’s through the 1990’s until Gene retired when they enjoyed more leisure and travel opportunities. Those organizations included: Museum of Arts and Sciences Museum Guild, Middle Georgia Historical Society, Macon Heritage Foundation, Macon Symphony Guild (1 year), Macon Tennis Association (fund raising for 2 years) and Macon Concert Association (subscription campaigns 1971-1984 and serving on the Board of Directors 1981-1983). While a member of the Macon Service League between 1981 and 1984, she won the “Family of the Year” District Essay award, and her family received the organization’s “Family of the Year” award for 1982. Until her health declined, she played in Ladies Tennis Leagues for many years (first at Tatnall Square, then John Drew Smith Tennis Center and last at Idle Hour Country Club). She was a long-time member of the Morning Music Club, the Mary Hammond Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a garden club, prior to her last years. She helped start and actively participated in a German language casual coffee gathering, “Kaffeeklatsch”. Her artistic highlights while living in Macon were playing “Tuptim” in the Macon Little Theater’s musical production of The King and I in 1975, and her directing/choreographing The Red Shoes, Macon Community Children’s Theater’s first production in 1986.

Midge’s love of travel was just as great as her love for the theatric arts. She traveled with her family to almost every U.S. state, parts of Canada, and to Brazil with her husband on a consulting assignment. She especially loved to travel to and within Europe with her husband, mostly after his retirement. Their travels took them to almost every country in western Europe, including the British Isles and one trip with friends to the Canary Islands. Midge also loved learning the languages of the countries that she would visit, and she prepared well enough to converse, read and write in the languages so that she could communicate with the natives without using English. The languages she learned and used were German, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. She also studied Japanese at Wesleyan and thought about traveling to Japan. Midge was also an avid reader prior to her declining health years. She collected and purchased many books, fiction and non-fiction, on almost every subject matter, and her library of travel books may have few rivals among private collections in the USA. Midge was predeceased by her parents, her husband of over 57 years (January 24, 2018), and her younger son Harry Gilmore "Gil" Cutright (December 11, 1979). She is survived by her elder son Eugene Albert "B.G." Cutright, Jr. (Cindy). Extended family members include her sister-in-law, Eva Cutright Bourdier (Lake Charles, LA), along with her husband’s nieces and nephews, and her first cousin, once removed, Ruth Henderson Scott (Charles Town, WV).

Hart’s Mortuary at the Cupola, 6324 Peake Road, has charge of the arrangements, which are in timed order as follows: Visitation: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 2:30 to 4 PM, Hart's The Cupola, Macon, GA. Funeral service: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 4 PM, Hart’s The Cupola, Macon, GA. Reception: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 6 to 8 PM, Idle Hour Country Club, Macon, GA. Burial will be private on Thursday, September 17, 2026. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of personal choice.