John K. "Jack" Cullen, Jr.'s Obituary
John K. "Jack" Cullen, Jr., died Wednesday Sept. 12, 2007, at St. Tammany Parish Hospital from cancer.
At 71, he was a beloved father and husband, respected teacher, Louisiana State University Professor Emeritus, gifted scientist, inventor and a trusted friend. Cullen was born in Denver, Colo., the oldest child to Air Force Maj. Gen. John Knox Cullen, Sr. and Mary Regester Prather. He graduated from Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md., sailed on The Eagle as a U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadet, and earned bachelors and master degrees in electronics engineering from the University of Maryland. He worked at the National Institutes of Health and at Johns Hopkins University early in his career. In 1968, he moved to Louisiana and joined the fledgling Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory at LSU Medical Center, where he contributed to the science of hearing for over 30 years. He guided the first 10 years of cochlear implant trials in Louisiana.
He received his PhD at LSU MC in 1975 and went on to teach physiology and hearing sciences both at LSU MC in New Orleans and LSU Baton Rouge, retiring in 1997.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his step-mother Louise B. Cullen, aunt Virginia I. Cullen and brother Robert Prather Cullen. Survivors include his beloved wife Deirdre Rafferty Cullen of Covington, La., daughter Janice C. Brunson and her husband Mark Brunson, of Fredericksburg, Va., son Raymond C. Cullen and his wife Holly Houk Cullen, of Baton Rouge, La., step-daughters Rebecca Rose and Ramona Marie Catalanello, of Tampa and New Orleans, respectively, grandsons David Mark, Jr. and Andrew Cullen Brunson of Fredericksburg, Va., and sister Mary Suzanne Cullen of North Carolina.
Jack had long requested a party instead of a funeral. Jack's family invites friends and colleagues to join them on Nov. 24th, the Sat. after Thanksgiving, at his home for a celebration of his life.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, 19 Mantua Rd., Mt. Royal, NJ 08061, or to the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Foundation, 1202 S. Tyler St., Covington, LA 70433.
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