Loretta "Tuts" McCullough

1929 - 2025

Loretta "Tuts" (Garrett) McCullough

January 28, 1929 - July 18, 2025

Loretta "Tuts" (Garrett) McCullough, known as Gwam to her grandchildren, 96, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 18, 2025 at The Pines of Glens Falls.

Born January 18, 1929 in Atlantic City, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Julia Loretta (Stahl) Garrett.

On June 28, 1958, Loretta married Donall McCullough in Resurrection Parish, Pennsylvania. They spent many wonderful years together until his passing on November 12, 2016.

Although Loretta was employed as a secretary, her true passion was art. She was a volunteer art teacher at her daughter's school and gave private art lessons throughout her life. She was an accomplished painter of natural scenes, and she admired the work of the female impressionist Marie Cassatt. She adored her favorite cat Missy. Most of all, Loretta was a woman of great faith. During the 1980s she worked tirelessly with Birthrite, an anti-abortion organization. She played the organ and produced the newsletter for The North American Martyrs Church until her health made it impossible for her to continue. She was always very generous to the church and to the congregation that attended.

Over the years Loretta and Donall, along with their daughter, Cie, traveled by car all over North America, visiting all 50 states, as well as driving from Clifton Park to Fairbanks, Alaska, and also starting from Clifton Park throughout Mexico to within miles of the Guatemalan border. The three also enjoyed driving all over the British Isles, visiting all four countries there.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Loretta was predeceased by her brother, Robert Garrett, and her sister, Nancy Preis.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Cie McCullough; her grandchildren, Adam Lee Buschle, and Dana Nicole Buschle; her brother, Charles Garrett, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins across the country.

Friends may call from 4:00-6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at the M.B. Kilmer Funeral Home, 82 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY 12828.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 AM on Thursday, July 24, 2025 at St. Joseph's Church, 164 Broadway, Fort Edward, NY. Rite of Committal will follow Mass at St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Memorial donations in Loretta's name can be made to the National Public Radio at https://www.npr.org/donations/support as Loretta loved listening to the classical music they play that she could not find anywhere else.