Paul Thomas Culligan, 89, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2013 in Dallas, TX after a long battle with cancer. He will be remembered as a loving and humorous husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and dear friend to all who knew and loved him.
He was born in Glendale, California on June 22, 1924 to Selma (Martinson) and Terence Culligan. He was preceded in death by brothers Loren and Bill and is survived by his youngest brother Patrick of Reno, NV. His wife, Lorraine, predeceased him. Paul is survived by his children: Erin Thomas of Stephenville, TX, Mary Covington and husband Dick of Dallas, Michael Culligan of Houston, TX and Patrick Culligan and wife, Sharron of Renton, WA. Paul is also survived by five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Paul grew up during the Great Depression, attending Muir High School and Pasadena Community College before enlisting in the Navy during World War II. He qualified for the Navy V-12 College Training Program, and made several life-long friends while attending college at the University of Louisville. Paul was honorably discharged in 1948 and finished his education at the University of Southern California.
He married the love of his life, Lorraine Eleanor Walker, on September 14, 1951 in Manhattan Beach, California. Paul’s education in chemical engineering drew him to the oil and gas industry and in 1955 they moved to Hobbs, New Mexico to pursue opportunities in that field.
Paul was the principal chemist at Pioneer Chemical in Hobbs and later he and a partner created United Chemical Company. He developed several formulas that were on the leading edge of his field at that time. His tenure at United Chemical took the company from a small Permian Basin concern to an international firm under the name of Unichem International. Paul became world renown for his technical and sales skills. People from around the world traveled to Hobbs to consult with him. Unichem was sold to a British company in 1985 and Paul and Lorraine retired to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In his later years, Paul pursued artistic interests in photography and painting as well as indulging a lifelong love of travel. His family will remember him at his best around the dinner table or on the patio surrounded by great friends, great food and telling phenomenal stories about his adventures and the characters he encountered.
He will be interred next to his beloved Lorraine in Santa Fe in a private ceremony at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to the American Cancer Society: https://donate.cancer.org/index or call 1-800-227-2345. Online condolences can be made at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com,
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