John Thomas Cullinan

John Thomas Cullinan, 07/31/1939–04/08/2025 It is with deep sadness we inform that John Thomas Cullinan, beloved husband of Ewa Radwanska, passed away on April 8th, 2025 at the age of 85, in Scottsdale, Arizona. John was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and spent his childhood in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he graduated from Immaculate Conception High School. He went on to Yale University (BA) and Columbia University (PhD in English Literature), and became a professor of literature at the University of California - Riverside; he later worked in the philanthropic sector as well as for the US State Department. He was a longtime resident of Chicago, Illinois, where he met his wife of 35 years, Ewa, with whom he shared many treasured moments and travels in the US and around the world, especially in her native Poland. John was an avid reader and passionate fan of classical music; he was a member and supporter of the Newberry Library, WFMT-Chicago classical music station, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Woodstock Mozart Festival, and Music of the Baroque. He donated a large part of his extensive book collection to the Macao Polytechnic University in China, where his stepdaughter, Joanna Radwanska-Williams, was a professor of English. Through his wife's Dr. Ewa Radwanska's contacts and activism in the Polish-American medical and academic community, John was beloved by the Polish-American community in Chicago for his wit, elegance, helpfulness and boundless knowledge. He is survived by his wife and stepdaughter, as well as his nieces, daughters of his late sister Alice Eigler, and their families. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John, please visit our floral store.