Charles Melvin Cullen Jr.

Charles “Chuck” Melvin Cullen, Jr, age 89, of Columbia, MD, passed away in his sleep and went to be with his Heavenly Father in Glory on May 21, 2026, just 8 months after the passing of his wife of 64 years, Elaine Willis Cullen. He loved his wife and family very much, and we know he now lives in a perfect world, free of all physical and emotional struggles. He was born on September 21, 1936, in Baltimore, MD, to the late Charles Melvin Cullen, Sr, and Helen Hoover Cullen. Chuck was raised in Baltimore with one brother, John Thomas Cullen.

Chuck graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, MD, where he was president of the photography club and worked as a DJ to a local radio station run by the school. He received a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Electrical Engineering, where he was also involved in the photography and radio clubs. After graduating, he worked at Bendix Corporation, which took him to the Bahamas as well as Johnston Island near Hawaii to work on radio antennas and the tracking system for the rocket Gemini. However, he spent most of his working years as an electrical engineer for the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, MD.

In 1961, Chuck married Elaine Willis and they had two boys and a girl. Together, they lived in Towson, Beltsville, and Columbia, MD. Charles accepted Jesus as his Savior about halfway through his life and sought from then on to live with a passion for God and His Word. He spent many hours discussing and pondering theology and how to work out his salvation in practical ways. He enjoyed attending church, Bible study, and prayer meetings every week until he was no longer physically able to go.

He enjoyed photography, music, fixing things, and all manner of electronics! He had a beautiful bass singing voice (though he never sang in a choir), and he played piano, guitar, ukulele, and auto-harp(!) and loved listening to old musicals or the pipe organ on his stereo with subwoofer. Happy family memories include summer vacations in Cape May, NJ, and many camping trips (usually in the rain). He loved spending time with his family, including Elaine, their 3 kids and 9 grandkids. He wanted so much to spend quality time with each of them and share what mattered most to them and to him. He had a very generous heart and loved to help people.

Chuck is survived by his three children: son, Maj. Scott Cullen (USAF, Ret.) (Cindy); son, Stephen Cullen (Kelly); daughter, Wendy Gray (Rick); and 9 grandchildren (Ian and Will Cullen; Alex, Shannon, Cabot, and Andrew Cullen; and Grant, Aidan, and Chase Gray). Chuck was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his sister Helen Virginia Cullen, and his brother.

A funeral service to celebrate Chuck’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 10001 State Route 108, Columbia MD 21044, where family and friends may begin visiting at 10 a.m. The burial will follow immediately after the service at Meadowridge Memorial Park in Elkridge, MD, and then there will be a small reception back at the church following the burial.