Michael M McCullen

Michael Murff McCullen, 67, passed away early Wednesday morning, June 21, 2017 in Baytown.

Michael was smart, with a clever sense of humor; he was an intellectual with great curiosity about the world. A Renaissance Man, he was quick to learn about new cultures and to pick up foreign languages, and this enabled him to thrive and enjoy his career in the world of international business.

Michael, the third of five children born to Murff McCullen, DDS, and Patsy Connor McCullen, was born May 29, 1950 at Pasadena General Hospital. He attended Pasadena schools and graduated from Pasadena High School in 1968. As a PHS junior he was a member of the Photographer’s Club, and was Treasurer of the Interact Club; as a senior he served as Vice President of the Interact Club, President of the French Club, and was a Photographer on the staff of the school newspaper, The Beacon. He was also a member of Quill and Scroll, an International Honor Society for High School Journalists.

He graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in History; he was awarded the JD degree from the Bates School of Law at UH. He worked in the corporate design world. For over a decade he worked as a Sales Manager in electrical engineering design for Hutchison-Hayes. Later he worked for Siemens Energy and Automation and after some 20+ years he retired as a Project Manager. He also enjoyed teaching and was a Professor of Drafting and Mathematics at Lee College and San Jacinto College.

Michael was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church. He was baptized at the Methodist Temple in Port Arthur, Texas; after the family moved to Pasadena he spent his youth at the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena where he was active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship. In Highlands he was a member of Highlands United Methodist Church where he served on the Board of Trustees; he also served with his wife Elizabeth as an Elementary Age Sunday School teacher for 20 years. He learned guitar and played with the Praise Team at HUMC, and with the group “Pick and Grin” at Highlands Community Center.

Michael felt a great kinship with Irish culture and his Celtic heritage, and enjoyed travel in Ireland; after the musical “British Invasion” in the Sixties he became a lifelong Beatles fan. One of Michael’s great travel adventures came as a teenager when with the Amigos de las Americas he lived in a Guatemalan Indian village for several weeks. The young people serving as Amigos were trained to give vaccinations as part of the mission of the organization, which was similar to the Peace Corps.

Michael is survived by Elizabeth, his wife of 35 years, and their daughter Sarah, son-in-law Air Force Major Christopher Lochridge, and grandson Sean. Also, stepson Stephen Lannon; daughter Michelle Dodge, and granddaughter Megan.

Michael’s siblings and their families are: Patrice and husband Barry Schexnayder and sons William, and John and wife Amie and their children, Madison and Dexter; George and wife Mary; Molly and husband Mike Weingart and daughters Kristen, and Tiffany and sons Jaxon and Tanner; and Peggy Connor and children, Dustin Schlain, Megan Schlain, and Jessica and husband Navy Petty Officer First Class Timothy Bleigh and their children, T. J. and Marissa. Many cousins also survive him.

Visitation will be Monday, June 26, 2017 from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Sterling-White Funeral Home, 11011 Crosby-Lynchburg Road, Highlands, TX 77562. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 11:00 am at Highlands United Methodist Church, 107 W. Houston, Highlands, TX 77562. After the service, a light lunch will be served in the Fellowship Hall at the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Sterling-White Funeral Home, 11011 Crosby-Lynchburg Rd., Highlands, Texas 77562. To offer condolences to the family, please visit www.sterlingwhite.com.

Memorial donations may be mailed to The Highlands United Methodist Church, 107 W. Houston, Highlands TX 77562. To support research, Memorial Tributes can be made online by clicking on the Donate Link of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research website, at michaeljfox.org.  

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