Thomas Patrick Cullen

January 29, 1929 – July 29, 2018

Houston, Texas

Thomas Patrick Cullen of Houston, Texas passed peacefully on July 29, 2018 at the age of 89. “Tom” was a beloved husband, dedicated family man, a faithful friend, and a devout Catholic Irishman.

Tom was born in Manhattan, New York on January 29, 1929 to Bridget (“Bridie”) and John Cullen. He was one of four children who grew up in Washington Heights in the Bronx. Tom was a “first generation” Irish American as Bridie and John had left Ireland separately only to reconnect in New York, to marry, settle in “the Heights” and raise their children. Those were the days of stickball, street hockey, basketball, red rover and yes, swimming in the Hudson River. Tom was a member of St. Elizabeth’s parish where he attended grammar school, was an altar boy and sang in the choir. Tom later attended Cardinal Hayes High School and graduated from NYU with a degree in Economics in 1951.

Following graduation, Tom joined the Marine Corps and was deployed to Korea where he remained until the war ended. Tom joined Shell Oil Company in 1955 where he worked in the marketing/purchasing organization for 32 years in New York, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Georgia and his adopted Houston, before his retirement from Shell in 1987. Tom then joined several Shell colleagues in Tulsa, Oklahoma to work for Citgo Petroleum before his final retirement in 1990.

During Tom’s retirement years, he discovered a new hobby of running. Tom joined a “FIT” group in 1992 to begin marathon training. This group became fast friends and Tom, who was the elder statesman of the team, was dubbed “King of Memorial Park”. The FIT group became like an extended family to Tom and Judy who met each Saturday morning and who continue to meet regularly to “walk” at Memorial Park. Tom ran the Houston Marathon, his first of eighteen marathons, at age 63. He later ran the Boston and Chicago Marathons with his daughter Eileen, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. as well as the 2002 New York Marathon in memory of his cousin Terry, who died on (9/11) September 11, 2001.

During his 45 years in Houston, Tom was a longtime member of St. John Vianney parish where he was a CCE teacher, a Eucharistic Minister, a member of the Men’s Club and the Perpetual Adoration Society. Tom and Judy were flood victims of Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017, which forced them to evacuate via kayak from their beloved Bramblewood neighborhood after receiving 60 inches of rain (and 6 feet of water inside their house) in a 5-day period. For the past year, Tom and Judy have been living with family in Dallas.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kate Walsh. Tom is survived by his sister Margaret Geary and brother, John Cullen as well as his loving wife of 60 years, Judy. Tom is also survived by three daughters, Kathy Cullen Blair and Laurie Cullen Walker of Dallas, Texas and Eileen Cullen Cochran of San Antonio, Texas and two sons, Michael Cullen and Thomas Cullen, both of Houston, Texas. Tom is also survived by 11 grandchildren: Ashley Edwards of Tyler, Texas Blake, Blair, Meghan Blair and Caroline Blair of Dallas, Texas, Corey Cullen of Houston, Texas, Ian Cochran and Jack Cullen of San Antonio, Texas, Cullen Cochran of Houston, Texas, Chris Walker, Sarah Walker and Olivia Walker of Dallas, Texas, and 3 great grandchildren: Preston Edwards, Emerson Edwards and Everly Edwards of Tyler, Texas.

A funeral Mass in celebration of Tom’s life will be held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, Texas on Friday, August 17, 2018 at 10:30am, followed by a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to:

St. John Vianney church at: www.stjohnvianney.org, or

The Alzheimer’s Association at: www.alz.org