Mark McCullough

Mark Lamons McCullough, 62, of Charlottesville, VA, died peacefully at home on December 31, 2025. His wife of 33 years, Theresa, was his constant companion and caregiver, and their children, Matthew and Hope, were present whenever possible and very involved in his care during his two-year illness with glioblastoma. The family is extremely grateful for the support of family, friends, neighbors, and great medical teams along the way.

Mark, the older child of the late Richard and Sally (Lamons) McCullough, was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, with his beloved sister, Leigh Ann. Mark attended Charlotte Country Day School, where his talents and passion for the arts were first recognized. He went on to graduate with a BFA in Design and Production from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Mark later earned his MFA in Stage Design from the School of Drama at Yale University.

Before starting his graduate work, Mark was the assistant to the lighting designer at Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio, where he met and fell in love with a talented dancer, Theresa Carney. They married on November 28, 1992, and spent the next 10 years living happily in Park Slope, Brooklyn, welcoming Matthew in 2001. Hope was born in 2005 following the family's move to Charlottesville.

Mark had a remarkable career as a lighting designer in the U.S. and internationally; several of his original designs are featured in the current season. He lit productions at, among many others, the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bolshoi Theater, Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera and Houston Grand Opera, as well as the Glimmerglass Festival where he worked throughout his career and made lifelong friends. Among his other theater credits are a revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway and U.K.), Whistle Down the Wind (London), Webster's The White Devil and Schiller's Don Carlos (Royal Shakespeare Company), West Side Story (Italy and others), and Off-Broadway productions including Wendy Wasserstein's Old Money at Lincoln Center, How I Learned to Drive, and The Long Christmas Ride Home. His work in regional theater included the Guthrie Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Hartford Stage, Steppenwolf, and Center Stage.

Mark is remembered for his relentless pursuit of excellence, tempered with kindness and humor. The commitment to excellence that defined Mark's theatre work also characterized his added career in home design and renovation in Charlottesville. His partner at Ace Contracting recalled his intense work ethic, creativity, and expertise, interwoven with a rare kindness and humility.

Mark and Theresa taught their children that curiosity, creativity, and imagination were integral to a life of meaning. The mantras he shared time and again were "never give up" and "be who you are," lessons he exemplified throughout his life. He embraced every moment with Theresa, Matthew, and Hope and celebrated them with a joy so powerful they will feel it throughout their lives.

Mark is survived by his loving sister, Leigh Ann McCullough Steigman, her husband, Trey, and their children, Cole and Kaleigh; a host of in-law siblings, nieces, and nephews on Theresa's big Carney family side; devoted friends; and the most recent in a lifetime of beloved dogs, Shelby and Louis.

A private celebration of Mark's life will be held in January. Please direct any memorial contributions to the National Brain Tumor Society, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, or the Glimmerglass Festival.

To leave your condolences, please visit https://www.abettercremation.org.