William John Gilbert McCulloch

Dr. William John Gilbert McCulloch Dr. William John Gilbert McCulloch, 87, passed away on Friday, April 13th. He was born on April 24th, 1924 in Killarney, Manitoba to Robert and Edith McCulloch. He married Pearl Routh of Lethbridge, Alberta and was her devoted partner for 62 years. John and Pearl moved from Canada to the United States in 1951, became American citizens in 1957, and have resided in Austin, Texas for the past 20 years. John earned his Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Manitoba and his Ph.D in Physical Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He joined Standard Oil, NYC (now ExxonMobil) in Linden, New Jersey in 1953, where he worked for 41 years. After transferring to Baytown, Texas, John was Licensing Manager for Polymers Technology at Exxon Chemical Polymer Center, traveling extensively to Japan, Europe, China, Israel and India negotiating contracts and patents. In 1988 at the Windows of the World atop the World Trade Center, John received the First Plastics Technology Excellence Award from Exxon Chemical Company. In 1989, he was asked by the University of Tennessee College of Human Ecology to sit on the Friend of the College Board. His work there as an Exxon representative was instrumental in the development of the Textiles and Nonwoven Development Center (TANDEC), and later earned him the Chancellors Citation for Services to the University of Tennessee. He continued as a consultant for the Nonwovens/Melt Blowing Industry until 2008. John heroically served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a bombardier, enlisting underage after his brother, Robert, died in WWII when his plane was shot down. John served overseas for three years. John was active in his community, serving as President of the Lions Club in Warren, New Jersey. He highly valued education and served as President of the Warren Township School Board and President of the Watchung Hills High School Board. He also took his role as a father seriously and served as Chairman of the Somerset County Heart Association following his daughter's heart surgery, organized ExpoWarren, a Lions Club fund- raising summer fair filled with carnival rides, games, food and entertainment that continues today, and coached Little League baseball teams. As a grandfather, John was involved in all of his grandsons' pursuits, always concerned for their well-being. When he became a great- grandparent, he delighted in having a beautiful girl added to the family. John and Pearl enjoyed numerous social activities. They were elegant ballroom dancers and accomplished bridge players. John continued to play bridge up until a few weeks ago. While living in Baytown, Texas, he was an avid golfer. After his retirement, John remained actively engaged in individual research on numerous technology and social issues. He was especially committed to the pursuit of fuel cell and nano technologies, often serving as a consultant. In his dying days, he still spoke of his concerns regarding population growth and the scarcity of water. John was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers and sisters, Doris, George, Hugh, Janet, Jim, and Robert, and his daughter in-law, Kerry McCulloch. He is survived by his wife, Pearl, his son Kent, son Brian and his wife Nancy, daughter Leslie, grandson Christopher and his wife Sarah, grandsons Ian, Elan, and Will, great-granddaughter, Audrey, brother Lorne, and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children living across Canada. The family would like to thank the wonderfully caring staff of St. David's Hospital and Christopher House. The dedicated care over the years provided by Dr. Javier Otero and Dr. Carla Underhill is also deeply appreciated. Services will be held on Saturday, May 19th at 11:00 a.m. at Westlake United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Center for Advanced Technologies and Systems for further fuel cell research, and the Christopher House of Hospice Austin. May all the peace and love that abounds in the universe find its way to your resting soul, Papa. Your beautiful smile will be missed by all.