Dick Culp

A hardworking, dedicated, and fun-loving man, Richard Culp was an extraordinary person to know and love. He was never one to worry about building wealth, rather, he made it his mission to provide for the wife and children he loved more than life itself. Together with his beloved wife, Dick experienced so many of the best things that life has to offer. He was a fantastic father who was an active part of his children’s lives, and together they had so much fun. Dick was filled with unwavering courage and a quiet strength that inspired all who were near. He will be deeply missed while his timeless legacy is carried on by all who follow him.

The decade that is sometimes called the Nifty Fifties was an exciting time to be an American. Elvis Presley took the music world by storm while James Dean was a regular name in the Hollywood scene. Rosa Parks brought civil rights to the forefront when she refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus, and by the end of the decade we welcomed both Alaska and Hawaii as our 49th and 50th states. It was during this eventful time that a young couple from Kalamazoo, Michigan, was filled with great anticipation as they awaited the birth of their fourth baby as the trees were shedding their fall leaves. The big day finally arrived when the baby boy they named Richard A. was born. He was the youngest of four children born to his parents, Robert and Phyllis (Miller) Culp, and he was raised in the family home alongside his siblings, Deborah, James, and Patricia.

From the time he could get around on his own Dick was a bustle of activity. He was a Boy Scout, and although he wasn’t really into sports he did love the outdoors. Dick was naturally drawn to anything with an engine with dirt bikes and snowmobiles being a couple of his favorite ways to satiate his spirit of adventure. He attended Mattawan Schools where he played the coronet in the marching band.

After graduating from high school in 1976, Dick started serving in the Oshtemo Fire Department until 1990. During those 14 years, he achieved the rank of Captain. Also in 1976 he attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College to become an auto mechanic. He earned his certificate and started working for Gene Moon in Paw Paw. He was a Ford man through and through, just like his father. A few years later, Dick began working as a mechanic at Dalediens before applying at Upjohn. He began a rewarding career there in January of 1987, starting out in maintenance. Dick worked his way up there, settling into a job as a chemical operator, which he truly enjoyed. He also worked with his father and brother as together they had their own business cutting lawns. Dick was cutting lawns up until two years ago, and was still employed at Pfizer, previously Upjohn, after 26 years.

While he was busy working towards a rewarding career, Dick was experiencing some excitement in his personal life as he had met the young woman of his dreams. She was an Otsego student named Nancy, and they met at the home of his best friend, Randy VanDam, as Randy’s sister was Nancy’s best friend. Sparks flew right from the start when they met in 1978, and with a desire to spend the rest of their lives together they became husband and wife on August 8, 1981, in Kanley Chapel on the campus of Western Michigan University.

The newlyweds settled in Kalamazoo, and they started their family right away. Together they welcomed two children, Amanda and Bryan, into their hearts and home. Although Dick put in many hours of work a week, often including overtime, he wanted to provide a comfortable life for his family. When he was home Dick made the most of the time he had. He worked nights while his children were younger, but when he was off on the weekends there was plenty of playing catch in the yard, snowmobiling, and riding quads. Dick was a true family man who loved joking around with his kids. Dogs, usually basset hounds, were an important part of family life, and through the years their faithful companions included Brady, and Roscoe.

In his free time Richard was usually busy doing something. As someone who was mechanically minded, many of his interests centered on things with motors. Dick helped his father with a Model-A, but he really preferred his Honda CBX motorcycle. Whether it was dirt bikes or road bikes, he enjoyed working on them all. He had countless dirt bike magazines, which were primarily his only reading material, and he passed his love for reading these magazines on to his son. Dick also watched car shows on television. He and his wife enjoyed camping in their fifth wheel and looked forward to going up North and traveling with their friends. They went all over including out West and down South with regular family trips in the summer. Mexico was another one of Dick’s favorite trips. When it came to his favorite foods he loved pizza, green beans, and his mother’s goulash in addition to mint chocolate chip ice cream and butterscotch pie. Dick had quite a sweet tooth when it came to drinks, too, as he liked Mountain Dew and Coke with Jack Daniels during his younger days. He wasn’t picky when it came to beer as he liked cheap beer best! Typical 80s rock, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC were among his favorite in music. Comedies like Airplane were his favorites among movies. Although he didn’t attend weekly services, Dick was a faith-filled man.

Life became more difficult for Dick and his loved ones when he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome about ten years ago. Three years ago he underwent a bone marrow transplant. Dick courageously underwent treatment, but he eventually got to the point where he decided to stop his treatment to make the most of the days he was given.

With unending love for his family, Richard Culp was a devoted husband and father first and foremost. He was an engine enthusiast if ever there was one as it has even been said that he had a spark plug up his butt! Dick was a hardworking man who knew how to get things done, and no matter what came his way he faced it head on without complaint. Life will never be the same without him here, but his memory will remain forever near and dear to the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Richard Allen Culp died on August 14, 2014 at Kairos Dwelling in Kalamazoo. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Culp. Members of his family include his wife of 33 years, Nancy Culp; 2 children: Amanda Culp (Michael McWay) and Bryan Culp (Felisha Gillies); his mother, Phyllis Culp; 3 siblings: Deborah Wilkinson, James (Jill) Culp and Patricia Heystek and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Cremation has taken place with a private burial. Learn more about Dick and visit with his family and friends on Monday from 5-8PM at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler-Kalamazoo, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo 375-2900. Please visit Dick’s personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can read his life story, archive a favorite memory or photo and sign his guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Kairos Dwelling.