Lowell Eugene McCulley's Obituary
Lowell Eugene McCulley, age 81 of Centerville, Iowa passed away Wednesday, May 06, 2015 at the Centerville Nursing and Rehab Center.
Lowell was born at home on the family farm near Ottawa, Kansas, September 13, 1933, the fourth child of L.E. and Eva (Stanturf) McCulley, with sister Evalora, brother Lee and a brother Ralph, who had died a few months earlier.
He is survived by two daughters: Rhea Fernandes (husband Stan) of Tempe, Arizona and Marybeth McCulley of Centerville, Iowa; four grandchildren: Staci Veach (Jeremy), Centerville, Iowa, A.J. Hook (Sonja), Knoxville, Iowa, Dr. Tom Fernandes (Dr. Tamara), South Lake Tahoe, California, Maris Fernandes, New York, New York; and four great grandchildren: Kole and Avery Hook, Sean Fernandes and Cora Veach; his sister-in-law, Edna McCulley of Oswego, Kansas, and many nieces and nephews. Lowell was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn McCulley; his parents; his sister, Evalora Eastland and brothers, Lee McCulley and Ralph McCulley.
Lowell attended grade schools in Kansas before moving with his parents to Pittsfield, Illinois when he was a senior in high school. After graduating from Pittsfield High School and attending Illinois College in Jacksonville for a year, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. He was a member of the gymnastics team at Western. Lowell completed an internship in Medical Technology at Methodist Hospital in Peoria, Illinois and was a registered Medical Technologist. He later completed a Master's Degree from the University of Illinois-Springfield in Health Services Administration.
He married Marilyn Carrothers of Pittsfield in 1953, who was also attending Western Illinois University. They celebrated sixty years of marriage in June 2013 with all family members and many friends in attendance.
Lowell and Marilyn made their home in Jacksonville, Illinois for many years, where Lowell was employed at Passavant Hospital laboratory and then as business manager and lab director at Jacksonville Medical Center for nineteen years. They moved to Bay City, Texas and later to Friendswood, Texas where Lowell was laboratory director at Mainland Center Hospital in Texas City, Texas. After retiring in 1996, he taught laboratory courses at Alvin (TX) Community College, until moving to Iowa in 2006.
Lowell was always interested in music. He was a soloist and member of several church choirs and directed a choir for a number of years. He joined the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1967 and helped charter chapters in Jacksonville, Illinois, Bay City, Texas and Alvin, Texas, serving as a director in each chapter. Lowell joined the Houston Tidelanders chorus in 1985 and competed in regional events many times. He was a member of quartets for many years and competed in district contests. Lowell participated in many community theater productions, including his favorite, Music Man, as an actor and with his quartet.
He and Marilyn enjoyed traveling and attended Barbershop contests and conventions all over the U.S. and Canada. They took extended European trips with Barbershop groups, performing in many countries. They also enjoyed cruises to Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.
Lowell had many other hobbies, including tennis, fine wood-working, building clocks, antique refinishing and collecting cobalt blue glass and wrist watches.
While residing in Iowa, he was a member of First Methodist Church of Centerville and the Centerville Barbershop group and served several years as secretary of the Centerville Rotary Club, as well as treasurer of the Centerville Concert Association.
Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Monday, May 11, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church in Centerville with Reverend Dennis Gilbert and Mark Dekker officiating. Interment will follow in the Blue River Cemetery in Detroit, Illinois. A visitation will held on Sunday at Lange Funeral Home and Crematory from 12 PM-8 PM, with the family present from 6-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established to the First United Methodist Church and may be mailed to Lange Funeral Home and Crematory, 1900 S. 18th St., Centerville, Iowa, 52544. Condolences may be shared online at www.langefh.com.
Visitation
May 10, 2015 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Lange Funeral Home 1900 S. 18th St. Centerville, IA (641) 856-2000
Funeral Service
May 11, 2015 11:00 AM
First United Methodist Church North Main, off the square Centerville, IA (641) 856-3213
What’s your fondest memory of Lowell?
What’s a lesson you learned from Lowell?
Share a story where Lowell's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Lowell you’ll never forget.
How did Lowell make you smile?