Robert Patrick Mccullough

Obituary, ROBERT PATRICK McCULLOUGH February 27, 1918 ~ October 11, 2006 Robert Patrick McCullough of Dallas, Oregon passed away on October 11, 2006 at home in the presence of his loving family. His funeral service will at 11:00 AM, on Saturday October 21 at Farnstrom Mortuary, 410 Monmouth Street in Independence. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania to Sylvester James McCullough and Mary Eva Schell-McCullough on February 27, 1918. Bob was raised in Reading where he excelled in both sports and academically at Mt. Penn H.S. and Fork Union Military Academy. He was attending Kutztown University in 1941 when he was inducted into the Army Air corps. In his last football game at Kutztown, Bob intercepted a pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown. He was boarding ship for the South Pacific when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was subsequently assigned to detached duty in Tillamook for weather monitoring and the construction of the Hebo radar station. He was then assigned to 16 months in Yakatut Alaska before being selected for officer candidate school in Miami, Florida and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on February 5, 1944 and then promoted to First Lieutenant.. He then sent for his sweetheart from Tillamook, Mary Pearl Kit Reynolds and they were married. He was assigned to Truax Field Wisconsin where their first child, Sandra Elaine, was born. After the war he returned to college at East Stroudsburg State in Pennsylvania where he starred in his favorite sports of Football, Basketball and Baseball. In his first game after the war he again intercepted a pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown. He received his BS degree in 1948 from East Stroudsburg and later earned a Masters Degree from New York University. Bob and his family returned to Oregon where he taught and coached at Adrian, Oregon. Their second child, Kim was born in Clatskanie in 1954 where Bob had accepted a teaching and coaching position at Clatskanie High School. In his fourth year the Flying Tigers finish with a 20-2 record and placed third in the 1953-54 Class A Basketball tournament where tiny 200 students Clatskanie defeated giants Roosevelt, Grants Pass and Madras, loosing only to Milwaukee. The team's success led to the restructuring of Oregon's High School athletic system by school size which we are familiar with today. After another winning season at Clatskanie, Bob taught and coached four years at Cleveland High in Portland. In 1959 he began his college teaching career at Oregon College of Education in Monmouth where he coached and taught for twenty-three years until his retirement in 1981. He thoroughly enjoyed teaching Oregon's future teachers. Bob was the head coach for Basketball, Tennis and Cross-Country with many successes including being awarded the National NAIA Basketball Coach of the year award in 1967. For Bob though, the successes were the kids he helped and the great enjoyment that he took in life. As a gentleman, Bob always felt it was important to teach and expect gentlemanly behavior on and off the field and he was greatly respected for his values. He stayed in contact with many of his former student-athletes until his death. Bob was widowed in 1973 when his beloved Kit passed away. He was also preceded in death by his parents and three brothers; John, James and Lee. Bob married Barbara Buss, a widow who along with her husband Virgil had been close friends with Bob and Kit for over 25 years in 1985. They lived and traveled together in love for the rest of his life. After four years of traveling by motor home they lived in Bend and Sisters, while maintaining a second home at Country Roads in Yuma, AZ surrounded by old and new friends while enjoying hiking, tennis, swimming bicycling, skiing and extensive travel. Two years ago his failing health led them to return to the Willamette Valley and a home in Dallas where he passed away in the loving and stalwart care of his beloved wife Barbara. Bob is also survived by his brother Dick McCullough of Reading, Pennsylvania, his daughters and their husbands, Sandra and Tim Pfau of Salem, Kim and Jeff McCullough-Cowman of Denver, Step children Mike Buss, Dan and Liz Buss and Leroy and Connie Schmidt. He has six grandchildren Nick Young, Jesse Morgan-Young, Chris Young, Ursula Pfau, Kellie Cowman and Kristin Cowman, along with three Great-Grand children Gregory Morgan-Young, Alexander Young and Caitlyn Young. He is also survived by the love and respect of his many friends and the lives he impacted in two generations of students. Bob's charisma and love of people will be greatly missed. He never met a stranger and when he made friends, they were friends for life. The family asks that donations in lieu of flowers be sent to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N Fairfax, suite 100 in Arlington VA, 22203. The memorial account in 11404711. Arrangements Entrusted to Farnstrom Mortuary, Independence