William Richard McCullough

William "Bill" Richard McCullough was born to Thomas Edward McCullough and Margaret Mary Babbitt on September 18, 1933 in Los Angeles, California. Shortly after his birth, the family returned to their home in Flagstaff, Arizona where Bill was raised exploring the mountains, canyons and deserts of the southwest. Bill was the youngest child of Thomas and Margaret and was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers Thomas F. McCullough CSC and George B. McCullough. After graduating from Flagstaff High School in 1951, Bill continued a family tradition by enrolling at the University of Notre Dame where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Being musically inclined, Bill enjoyed playing the trumpet with the Notre Dame Marching Band. Bill's love for Notre Dame continued with his passion for the Fighting Irish football team, and his generous support of The Kroc Center for International Peace Studies and The Center for Social Concerns. Following graduation from Notre Dame Bill attended graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, where he met his lovely wife, Valerie Anne Prime whom he wooed away from her aspirations to become a nun. Bill married Valerie on September 15, 1956 and graduated from UC Berkeley in 1958. Shortly after receiving his M.S. from Berkeley, Bill began his career with Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, California. In 1964, Bill and his family were delighted to be transferred to H-P in Loveland - where he and Val have lived ever since. It was in Loveland that Bill and Val raised their four daughters. Not only did Bill teach his daughters how to play, he was also an enthusiastic supporter of his daughter's interests, education, families, careers - and various pets! On cold, dark, winter mornings Bill drove to a nearby pasture to bring warm oats and fresh water to their horses before going to work. Without hesitation, Bill supported Val's return to graduate school to pursue a doctoral degree in the 70's despite the hours it kept her away from home and family. Val is forever grateful for Bill's support of her education and career. Bill and Val recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at which time they renewed their marriage vows. While living in Loveland, Bill fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park and the surrounding forests and wilderness areas. He particularly enjoyed taking visitors on hikes in the Rocky Mountains. Bill was a lover of the forest, appreciating its beauty and solitude. His daughters treasure this love their dad shared with them. They continue to value their experiences in nature and are so grateful for the trails, lakes, and peaks they explored with their father. After over 30 years of employment with H-P as an electrical engineer and general manager Bill retired in 1990. A tireless volunteer on numerous committees, Bill enjoyed being actively involved with organizations including Meals on Wheels, the Chamber of Commerce, the Citizen's Budget Advisory Board, Thompson School District Master Plan Committee, United Way, Big Thompson Flood Relief, and Catholic Charities. Bill's flair for numbers and accuracy with details were appreciated by many - once an engineer... always an engineer. Bill applied his theoretical skills in ways that assisted real people. The McCulloughs wish to extend their deepest gratitude for the tireless commitment and care Bill received from various medical professionals: Mayo Clinic, McKee Medical Center, the University of Colorado Health Care System, and countless other local health care professionals. Bill's life was extended almost 8 years by the generous sacrifice of Marge Schafer who donated her kidney to Bill in 2009. Bill's family will always be grateful for the additional time they enjoyed with Bill due to Marge's selflessness. Bill's daughters want to share a special thanks and recognition for their mother due to the love, faith and devotion she continually showed when caring for Bill during his illness. Bill is survived by his wife Valerie, daughters Claire, Sharon (John) Sabin, Eileen (Dave) Gollob, and Kathy (Tom) Pitten. Grandchildren Meredith (Zac) D'Argonne, Will, Vince, John, Caroline, Andrew, Chris and Emma. A memorial service for Bill will be held at 10 am on Saturday February 4th at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2919 N. Wilson Ave., Loveland, CO. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Wilderness Society and Marge Schafer Nursing Scholarship at https:// interland3.donorperfect. net/weblink/weblink. aspx?name=mckee&id=1 or at McKee Medical Foundation, 1805 East 18th Street, Loveland, CO 80538.