Christopher Dean Culver

Christopher Culver was born October 18, 1927 to Ward and Christine Culver in Grosse Isle, Michigan. He was the second of 4 boys and was given the nickname of “Kit.” His father, Ward, was a lawyer. His mother, Christine, was an artist. The four boys grew up loving the outdoors. They hunted and fished. They loved sailing and playing football together. Christopher’s older brother Ward was nicknamed “the mauler” in high school. Kit was given the nickname “mauler junior.” The Culver brothers were known as rather “feisty” boys in their teenage years. In his senior year Kit was voted “the most handsome boy” and boy with the “prettiest hair” by his senior class. Kit joined the Navy upon graduation from high school. He was stationed in Japan during the final months of WW II. He returned home after the war and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he earned a law degree. It was during his junior year in college that Kit that a freshman girl named Joan Frankman had a huge crush on Kit. From the moment she saw Kit her intentions were to marry to marry him. Three and one-half years later her intentions became a reality! Kit and Joan were married on October 20, 1951. Kit finished law school in 1952 and went into practice with his father until his father passed away in 1955. Kit and Joan had 4 children in the short span of 3 1/2 years. Debi was born in 1954, Christopher (Kit) Jr. in 1955 and the twins Charles (Fritz) and Lisa in 1957. Kit and Joan moved to Denver in 1962 to raise their family in the midst of the splendor of the Rocky Mountains. Living in the Rocky Mountain west had been a goal of Kit’s since he had worked summers at a ranch in Wyoming as a teenager. Having raised their children, seen them each married and having been blessed with 12 grandchildren, Kit and Joan decided to move to McMinnville, Oregon in the spring of 1992. There they found solace from the snowy winters of the Rocky Mountain west in their retirement years. Joan passed away in January of 1998 and Kit remained in McMinnville, Oregon for several years before returning to Colorado. Kit was gifted with a keen legal mind. While in Denver he started his own insurance investigation business where he put his legal expertise to good use. He became known and respected in the insurance industry for his ability to recover difficult information and to resolve cases in an effective manner. He excelled at his business until he chose to retire in the late 1980’s. Kit spent his last years of life in Greeley, Colorado. Garden Square at Westlake, an assisted living facility, became his home. He liked to think of himself as an employee of the facility that took care of the grounds. He would often offer his assistance as a grounds keeper to anyone who crossed his path. Kit passed away at peace in his sleep on June 12, 2010 at 7:20 p.m. He is survived by his 4 children and their spouses, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a character in life and will be truly missed.