John Cecil Culpepper Jr.

December 29, 1936 - December 19, 2008

John Cecil Culpepper Jr., one of Texas' leading commercial real estate developers, died Friday, December 19, 2008, at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, Texas.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, December 22, 2008, at Hillier Funeral Home in Bryan. A Memorial Service under the direction of Reverend Jesse Myers will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, December 23, 2008 at First Christian Church, 900 South Ennis in Bryan. Interment will be at Restever Memorial Mausoleum.

Born December 29, 1936, in Cameron, Texas, to Mary Lake Henderson and John Cecil Culpepper, he moved with his family to College Station in 1938. John attended public schools in both Bryan and College Station and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1955. He received a bachelor's degree from the School of Business Administration at the University of Texas in Austin and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law where he was selected as Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Texas Law School Association from 1965 to 1968.

After admission to the Texas Bar in 1963, John returned to Bryan-College Station to join his father in the company he established in 1937, Culpepper Realty. He was blessed to have been able to pursue his career alongside both his father and his son. With them, John was responsible for the development and building of more than three million square feet of shopping malls, retail centers, office buildings and restaurants throughout Texas. A 40 year member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, he served as faculty member of it's University of Shopping Centers.

John's lifelong avocation was archery and bowhunting. A Senior Member and former Board Member of the Pope & Young Club, he took pride in his inclusion in its Book of Records. Second only to his love of family and joy in three grandchildren was his continuing pleasure in teaching two generations of young people to shoot the bow.

His is survived by his wife of 47 years, Mary Anne Massengale Culpepper, his son, John Cecil (Jack) Culpepper III, his daughter-in-law, Mary Claire Crenan Culpepper, and grandchildren, John Crenan, Mary Elizabeth and Jacqueline Claire Culpepper, all of Bryan-College Station.

Honorary pallbearers include his cousins, John Burns Henderson Jr., and Hilton Culpepper, both of Cameron, Ken Craven of Rockport, and Benjamin Franklin, James D. Martin III, William F. Phillips, J. Stanley Stephen, Adrian Martinez, Lawrence Haskins, and Joe Bonafazi, of Bryan-College Station.

The family especially thanks the staff at Sherwood Health Care for compassionate and dedicated care given to John during the last few months.

John was a supportive member of the First Christian Church of Bryan-College Station. He served as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board for nine years and as its chairman from 1977 to 2006. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army or to the First Christian Church Building Fund.