Retired MVH doctor dies at 74
Dr. Clayton E. Culbertson will be remembered as a kindhearted man who had a way of making both his staff and patients feel special.
But Culbertson's most significant legacy most likely will be the more than 7,000 babies he delivered in the Mon Valley over 30 years.
Culbertson, 74, died peacefully at his home in Ligonier Tuesday, with his wife of 50 years, MaryJo, and other family members at his side.
News of his death saddened longtime colleagues at Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township. Culbertson, an obstetrician-gynecologist, retired from private practice in Monongahela in 1993.
"He was a wonderful man and a lot of fun to work with," said Betty Geis, nurse manager of the Monongahela Valley Hospital maternity ward.
Geis began working with Culbertson in 1971, shortly before the former Charleroi-Monessen and Monongahela Memorial hospitals merged into what is now Monongahela Valley Hospital.
In 1974, Culbertson delivered Geis' son, and went on to deliver more than 500 babies a year.
"He made an impact on so many lives I couldn't even begin to imagine how many," Geis said.
Geis said Culbertson was loved and respected by his patients and the hospital staff.
"He treated everyone with respect, especially the nurses," Geis said.
She said Culbertson had a knack for easing tense situations with his sense of humor.
"He always had funny stories to tell and used one-liners to help break the ice during difficult situations," Geis said.
Julie Shutterly, a former maternity ward nurse manager at Monongahela Valley Hospital, said Culbertson was a "gracious host" at parties at his home and at the hospital for staff.
"He was a very generous and considerate doctor with a great sense of humor," said Shutterly, who is now retired.
After retiring from his medical practice, Culbertson served as staff physician at Torrance State Hospital for seven years until October, 2000.
He was commander of the 911th Medical Squadron at Greater Pittsburgh Airport from Feb. 6, 1984, to Aug. 31, 1994. He served during the first Gulf War.
Earlier in life, Culbertson served in the U.S. Navy and then went on to graduate from Kent State University. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Medical School in 1959.
In addition to his wife, he is also survived by three daughters, Alice Treece, of Mullica Hills, N.J., Mary Ellen Henderson, of Canonsburg, and Joan Dasynich, of Bowling Green, Ky.; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Private funeral arrangements were handled by Snyder Funeral Home in Ligonier.
Memorial donations in his memory can be made to the Latrobe Area Hospital or Covenant Presbyterian Church.
