Howard McCullough insisted on owning a station wagon his entire life simply because it was the only vehicle big enough to carry everything he loved -- his family.
"That was probably his greatest joy -- just everybody being around," said his daughter, Rhonda Sinn, of Carmichaels, Greene County.
Sinn and her sister, Debbie Burkhart, Mr. McCullough's eldest daughter, said that at family dinners their father was often so busy saying thanks for the people he loved that he often forgot to bless the food.
Howard C. McCullough Jr., 74, of North Huntingdon, died Saturday, June 11, 2005, in Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital, Greensburg.
He is survived by his wife, Clover McCullough, four children and seven grandchildren.
Mr. McCullough was active in community organizations, including the Arthur St. Clair Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, of which he was a member for 25 years and had been president and secretary. His son, Robert McCullough, is currently the secretary.
"Howard helped him ... they worked together," Clover McCullough said.
He also was a former member of the board of directors of the Norwin Historical Society and a volunteer for the Norwin Meals on Wheels program.
"We even delivered Meals on Wheels on Friday, the day that I took him to the hospital," Clover McCullough said.
Clover McCullough explained that Mr. McCullough had open-heart surgery in 1998 and later a stroke. His declining health eventually resulted in his death.
Despite Mr. McCullough's community involvement, the activities that he enjoyed the most involved his family.
"As we were growing up, he never really had a hobby because it was about the kids," Rhonda Sinn said.
The McCullough family has vacationed for the past 30 years at Deep Creek Lake, Md., a spot where they often enjoy spending time together on Mr. McCullough's boat. Debbie Burkhart laughed when recalling her father's tendency to overlook the often-crammed boat.
"He did not care, he just loved being with everyone," Burkhart, of Kingsport, Tenn., said. "He would always say, 'I wonder what the poor people are doing today.' "
Rhonda Sinn said regardless of her father's health, he was always sure to set up a train around the family Christmas tree, a tradition that his grandchildren enjoyed.
When Mr. McCullough first retired from his almost 40-year supervisory position at Allegheny Power, he and his wife began traveling around the world, visiting Germany, the Panama Canal and Alaska.
"He took me so many places that I know I would have never gotten to," Clover McCullough said.
She said on the first trip to Alaska, Mr. McCullough bought her a bracelet with a charm, making it a point to then buy her one at each place they visited. The bracelet now has 11 charms.
Clover McCullough said her husband also found such great pleasure in learning about history that every family vacation and outing often turned into an exploration.
"Everywhere we stopped, he would pick up something to read -- a pamphlet, a book, a video, anything," she said.
Debbie Burkhart said her two children, Kristen, 25, and Kevin, 23, would often "fuss" about their grandfather's need to stop and explore.
"They would say, 'Pap, not another sign,' " Burkhart said, referring to the road signs marking a historic site. "But now they say, 'Man, we really got to see a lot of stuff.' "
Mr. McCullough also was known for mapping out every vacation because he wanted his family to experience everything.
"If we were on vacation and there was a dam, we were taking a tour of it," Rhonda Sinn said, laughing.
A funeral service will be held at 12:30 p.m. today in the William Snyder Funeral Home, 521 Main St., Irwin, with the Rev. Paul A. Becker Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Sylvania HIlls Cemetery, Rochester, Beaver County.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Norwin Meals on Wheels or the Norwin Public Library.
