William Culliton

“…It is a proud privilege to be a soldier – a good soldier…(with) discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self-confidence born of demonstrated ability.” – George S. Patton, Jr.

William Phillip Culliton

With eyes as deep blue as the seas he once sailed, William Phillip Culliton was no stranger to rough waters. After a struggle with various illnesses that ultimately ended with cancer, husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend, William ‘Bill’ Culliton passed late in the evening on Friday, October 10th, 2014

While he lived into his late seventies, Bill’s sudden and rapid decline has left many loved ones with unspoken sentiments of love and support, including his beloved wife, Lorraine Culliton. He has left behind daughter Cathy Dowd and her husband Tom, along with his three sons Daniel, Robert, and William and his wife, Sharon. Finding the love of his life late in life, Bill also leaves behind three step-children, Machelle Foster, Michael Hathaway, and Audrey Hathaway, along with a number of nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and friends that will never forget the depths of love, kindness, and strength they each found in his eyes, heart, and soul.

He is predeceased by his sister, Doris Morrisseau, step-son, Patrick Hathaway, and grandson, Sean Dowd.

After serving in the Navy from 1957 to 1961, Bill continued to show his pride in his chosen career and found himself at the Watervliet Arsenal – the oldest continuously active arsenal in the United States. There he continued his sense of duty and obligation to comrades, created life-long friendships and built the foundation of a good life for his family. Bill retired from the arsenal in 1999.

Shortly after retirement, Bill and Lorraine left the northeast for Ormond Beach, Florida where he loved to throw horseshoes, play pool and darts, and enjoy the company of friends at his favorite haunts – D.B. Pickles and Elks Lodge #2193, where he was a member.

Friends, family, and loved ones will miss those beautiful deep blue eyes, his stories of yesteryear, and love him forever, remembering great words by General Omar Bradley that Bill surely lived by, ‘Set your course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.’

Funeral arrangements are still being made, but the service will be held graveside at a V.A. cemetery in Saratoga, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society.