Offutt, Mabel Rebecca

29 Apr Offutt, Mabel Rebecca

Mabel Rebecca “Beck” Offutt passed from this life on Wednesday September 30, 2015 at 12:25 PM. She dies peacefully in her 97th year of life, surrounded by family, at the home of her daughter in Berkeley Springs WV. A resident of Darnestown for over 80 years, Beck was born on the family farm at Seneca to her late parents, Mabel & Harry C. West.

Mrs. Offutt attended the Seneca Schoolhouse, Darnestown Elementary School and Gaithersburg High School. In her early years, she was employed by the Montgomery County Government, Glen Construction, The Robert Pumphrey Funeral Home, as well as being an enumerator for the 1940 U.S. Census. She also appeared as an extra in the 1964 file, Lilith.

A warm, caring person, Beck was generous with her time and good humor. She was a lifetime member of the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, becoming the unofficial “Poet Laureate” of the annual Senior Citizen Day . An annual event for her was to participate in the History Day celebration at Darnestown Elementary School, telling of her early life in Montgomery County. She was a lifelong polling place judge each election day. Beck also pioneered the morning retirement group, who met each morning at the local McDonalds.

Rebecca was predeceased buy her loving husband, James R. Offutt, both of her brothers (William Armistead and Harry Jr.), all three of her sisters (Rosalie Severn, Mary Maughlin, and Catherine Waters), two grandsons (Michael Harwell and Scott Harwell), three nephews, as well as a son-in-law (John Mitchell).

She is survived by her two daughter, Joan Kinsey (wife of Buddy Kinsey) of Berkeley Springs, and Nancy Mitchell of Darnestown. In addition, survivors include seven grandsons (David, Mark, James, Steven and Darrin Kinsey, Kevin Harwell and Tim Coates), 18 great-grand children, and 11 great-great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two beloved nieces.

Last year, Mrs. Offutt participated in the Aortic Core Valve clinical trials at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. Her participation in this pioneering research allowed for discoveries which then gained FDA Approval of this-life saving procedure.