Dr. Martin Jack McCutcheon

He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas on December 23, 1941. Martin grew up with his parents, brother, and sister in Little Rock Arkansas where his dad worked for the telephone company. As a child, he worked as a paperboy and loved Ham Radios. He attended Little Rock Central High and Searcy High Schools and then went on to attend the University of Arkansas. Martin married Wanda Culver at First Methodist Church; Little Rock, Arkansas on September 3, 1963. He moved to Birmingham in 1967 with his wife and three-month-old son to work at UAB.

Martin had 28 years of service at UAB; was a professor and acting chair of electrical and biomedical engineering; he inspired countless students and colleagues with his knowledge, expertise, and dedication to his field. He was also recognized for his extensive research in medical technology, including the development of two patents in speech and hearing for the deaf. Following retirement, Martin helped his son start and expand Coalmont Electrical Development Corporation, a successful electrical engineering company located in McCalla, AL. Coalmont completed numerous projects related to engineering, automation, and manufacturing in steel, mining, and wood products. In October 1992, Martin visited Ibaraki University in Hitachi, Japan, as a participant in a joint research project between faculty at Ibaraki and UAB. During his trip, he gave a lecture on biomedical instrumentation to Ibaraki engineering faculty and students and visited several research laboratories. He also visited and gave lectures on biomedical instrumentation to faculty and students of the Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, and the Nihon College of Science and Technology in Tokyo. The trips to Japan and Jose David institute in Chihuahua, Mexico were his favorite trips.

Martin enjoyed photography, restoring clocks, watches, radios, and cameras. His love of these hobbies was infectious, and he was always happy to share his knowledge and experience with others. In his spare time, he enjoyed reading books related to physics and science fiction. He also had a great appreciation for music, art, and dance. He attended the symphony and ballet with his family for many years.

When his parents were still alive, Martin loved to visit them as often as possible. In spite of the long trip, he would visit them several times a year. He valued the times he could spend with his brother in Florida and his sister in Arkansas, too. He also enjoyed vacations with his family at a beach resort in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.

What we will remember most about Martin is his kindness, intelligence, humor, and love for his family and friends. He was a devoted husband to his wife Wanda, a proud and loving father to his son Shaun McCutcheon and daughter Karen Hart, and a supportive brother to Mike McCutcheon and sister Sandy Wilcox.

Martin’s gentle nature and generous spirit touched everyone who knew him, and his presence in our lives will be deeply missed. We will honor his memory by carrying his spirit of kindness and love with us always.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Wanda Culver McCutcheon; his two children, Shaun McCutcheon; and Karen McCutcheon Hart (Timothy); and his siblings, Sandy Wilcox of Conway, Arkansas; and Mike McCutcheon of DeBary, Florida.

A memorial service will be held at Southern Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 1:00 pm with visitation beginning at 12:00 pm.

The family requests memorial donations be made to www.ipffoundation.org.