Michael David McCulley Sr.

Semper Fidelis

Maj. Michael D. McCulley, Sr., of the United States Marine Corps, died peacefully and without discomfort on the morning of April 2, 2026, at the age of 87, just 1 month shy of his 88th birthday. He was married for 63 years to Susan “Carolyn” Clemmer of Wilmington, NC, who worked as a paralegal for David Ward at Ward & Smith Law Firm in New Bern for many years, and who survives him. He and Carolyn had two children, a daughter, Catherine, and a son, Michael D. McCulley, Jr. Catherine McCulley was bright and beautiful and full of potential, but she was tragically killed in a car accident at age 27 due to no fault of her own, in the prime of her life, after having just graduated with a masters degree in Exercise Physiology from ECU, in addition to her undergraduate degree in Physical Therapy. She was also in love and engaged at the time to a young physician. Maj. McCulley and Carolyn established a

scholarship in Catherine’s name at ECU.

In addition to his wife Carolyn, Maj. McCulley is survived by his son, Michael D. McCulley, Jr., an attorney in Wilmington, NC, and his daughter-in-law, Jill Leahey McCulley, a well respected physician assistant in Wilmington. Jill McCulley has a son from a prior marriage, Andrew B. Billups, who is a decorated law enforcement officer and an accomplished outdoorsman, in Clearwater, FL. Maj. McCulley and his wife Carolyn enjoyed hosting Jill and “Drew” on many boat trips to Cape Lookout. Michael McCulley, Jr. and Jill McCulley also welcomed a daughter in August of 2011, Alayna Hayes McCulley. After the loss of their daughter Catherine, Maj. McCulley, and his wife Carolyn, joyfully embraced their roles as

Parents-in-Law and Grandparents, and they deeply loved, and took great pride in, their daughter-in-law, Jill, her son Drew, and their Granddaughter, Alayna.

Maj. McCulley is also survived by his sister Diane Finnegan, a very talented musician and educator with a Masters Degree in Music from ECU, now retired and living in New Bern, and her sons, Gray Finnegan, a very talented musician and educator for over 30 years in Virginia Beach, VA, and Hayes Finnegan, a highly decorated US Army Blackhawk helicopter crew chief and warrant officer, with over 20 years of service including combat tours in Afghanistan, now retired and living in Fayetteville, NC. Maj. McCulley is survived as well by many McCulley cousins with whom he maintained meaningful relationships during his life, including Mary McCulley of Los Angeles, CA, Lucretia McCulley of Richmond, VA, and R.W. McCulley of Jacksonville, FL.

Michael D. McCulley, Sr., was born on June 1, 1939, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA. His Father, Lt. Col. Lawrence Hayes McCulley, was a former football quarterback at NC State and a US Marine Corps aviator who flew F4U Corsairs in the pacific during World War II, F9F Panther jets in the Korean conflict, and who also served at the Pentagon during the cold war. Maj. McCulley’s mother was Elizabeth Dees, a direct descendant of the poet Emily Dickenson (her Mother’s maiden name was Dickenson), a highly talented ballet and modern dancer with her own studio in Raleigh, NC, who was also a talented musician and skilled amateur golfer. Maj. McCulley grew up at various marine corps air bases where his father was stationed, including Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he attended grade school as a barefoot boy. Maj. McCulley graduated from a military academy high school and then from NC State University with a degree in business before being commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps, getting married, and then being sent to Vietnam in the summer of 1963, just weeks after his wedding.

Maj. McCulley served with distinction in a combat role in the Vietnam conflict, as a Ground Control Intercept officer, giving orders to scramble combat aircraft to meet approaching enemy aircraft and guiding air support missions to their ground targets from a forward radar equipped outpost. He was awarded numerous medals and ribbons for his combat service in Vietnam and he was promoted to supervisor of his air intercept unit. Maj. McCulley served in additional leadership roles as XO of an anti-aircraft battalion and as a liaison officer to the US Air Force and to NATO; he participated in NATO military exercises in Norway during the cold war. Maj. McCulley also earned a Master’s Degree in business while on active duty. Maj. McCulley retired honorably from the Marine Corps in 1985, and went to work in various positions, including with First Citizens Bank, as a community college educator teaching business, at Camp Seagull, and he volunteered as a local public radio host, playing classical music for listeners in the New Bern area.

Maj. McCulley was a sports car enthusiast as a young adult, owning numerous convertible Austin-Healey’s, a Pontiac GTO, and a convertible VW Carmen-Ghia. He was an avid sailor and boater his whole life, owning various sailboats and power boats, and he enjoyed countless communal meals and boating adventures with other members of the Hancock Yacht Club, located on Cherry Point MCAS, and made up of current and retired USMC personnel and their families. Notably, Maj. McCulley and Carolyn owned a modern French sailboat, named “Esprit de Catherine” which they sailed to the Bahamas and lived aboard for a while. Maj. McCulley was a licensed civilian airplane pilot, a licensed commercial boat captain and a member of the US Power Squadron, the New Bern Rotary Club and the local branch of the Marine Corps League, the “Devil Dogs.” Maj. McCulley traveled widely, both in service to his country, and for the sake of experience and exploration, together with his devoted wife Carolyn, including numerous trips to Europe and Asia and going an African photography safari. Maj. McCulley and Carolyn travelled as part of a highly respected choral group, including performances in Dubrovnik in Croatia, Bern in Switzerland and St. Petersburg in Russia, as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York. Mr. McCulley played lead roles in local musicals at Cherry Point and New Bern, such as the Phantom of the Opera and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown. Maj. McCulley was an accomplished amateur photographer, winning contests and awards for his photos of wild birds and the Grand Canyon, as just two examples.

Maj. McCulley took up wooden model ship building in retirement, building many highly complex model ships, often spending 1-2 years on each, which were later displayed at the Beaufort Maritime Museum, where he also worked as a volunteer. He survived numerous heart attacks following the death of his daughter and survived pancreatic cancer diagnosed in his early 80s, but he was very tough, and he was miraculously free of cancer as of his last scan when he passed away very peacefully, according to a nearby nurse, due to a sudden cardiac event. He was a strong but loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. He will be deeply missed and remembered by all who had the good fortune to know him well.

Maj. McCulley was a man of deep faith and a member of many church congregations. He served on many vestries, sang in many choirs and went on many church retreats during his life. He was a longtime member of Christ Church in New Bern after he retired from the Marine Corps and his daughter Catherine’s ashes are buried at the outdoor altar on the church grounds. Maj. McCulley’s funeral service will be held at Christ Church in New Bern, NC, at 11am on May 9, 2026. It will also be live-streamed by the Church. Maj. McCulley, as per his wishes, was cremated and will be laid to rest beside his beloved daughter with whom he is now reunited and safe in the hands of the Almighty Creator.