With a warm and friendly deep voice of assurance, Jim would be there for family, friends, and especially the thousands of students he would come to know over 37 years with Hemet Unified, all of it at Hemet High School. He knew how to reach out to any type of person, and was a loving and caring husband, father, teacher, counselor, coach and friend. Of course Jim’s first and most important relationship was with the love of his life, Kitty, to whom he was married for 58 years. Moving to Hemet over 55 years ago together, they have touched the lives of their numerous friends, colleagues and students.
James Leon McCullough, Sr. left his family and this world on August 14th, at the Village Assisted Living facility in Hemet, California due to complications from Dementia. He was 78 years old.
Jim was born in Coolidge, Arizona on October 6, 1943 to loving parents Jack and Ruth McCullough. He had a three year old sister, Martha. He was welcomed into this world by many members of the McCullough and Moore families including Grandma Belle McCullough (Nanel) and was surrounded by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. As a 10 month old baby, Jim, sister Martha and their mother moved to Bisbee, Arizona after his father was killed in a WWII flight training accident. Bisbee was his home with his mother, sister and his grandparents, Elizabeth and James Glasson. They lived in a wonderful old two-story home that was a favorite of Jim’s his entire life, again surrounded by more family, aunts and uncles. He grew to love Bisbee, and attended school at St. Patricks Catholic Elementary.
Without his father in his life, Jim had many relatives and family friends that took him on fishing and camping trips. It was on these trips that he learned the important values of life that he would be able to pass on to his own children and students. During this time he would spend summers in Coolidge on the Woodman Moore cotton farm with his Uncle Wood, Aunt Juanita and their two daughters, Brenda and Norma. He would work in the fields driving a tractor in the sweltering heat, but that was offset by wonderful farm meals prepared by Aunt Juanita.
From St, Patricks, he went onto Bisbee High School where he lettered in football, basketball and track. Football was a big part of high school and he enjoyed playing under Coach Ridgeway who taught Jim many lessons. Jim passed on many of those lessons to his players and students at Hemet High School. He played in the unique Warren Ball Park (built 1909) for the Bisbee High School Pumas. He graduated in 1961 with scholarship offers to the University of Arizona at Tucson and Arizona State College at Flagstaff (NAU). He chose NAU partly because of the beauty and the cooler climate, and he also liked the Lumberjack coaching staff. Jim and Kitty met while freshmen at NAU and were married in Flagstaff in 1964.
Jim graduated from NAU in 1966 and taught one year in Upland before moving to Hemet, being recruited by Oscar Bloom, a wonderful HUSD Assistant Superintendent. Hemet was a beautiful place to raise children and he was always thankful for that decision and his career choice of working with students. At Hemet High School he was a teacher and counselor. He also coached football, wrestling and tennis. In addition to his school responsibilities, he volunteered as a coach for the Dolphin Swim Club and the Catholic Church youth group. He also was a member of the Indian Guides with his sons Jim and Matt. He was always a very involved Dad and we had many camping trips over the years. He also played golf with his close friends and was a member of Soboba Golf Country Club, enjoying tournaments, team play, and lots of Saturday skins’ games with his sons and friends. Jim and Kitty also played a lot of couples golf and took many golf trips all over the country.
In 2003 Jim and Kitty retired from Hemet Unified and were thrilled to enjoy the years with family gatherings and holidays with the grandchildren. They also had several memorable trips to Mt. Rushmore, many European countries and Hawaii. They were able to travel with lifelong friends to New York City, beautiful Bellingham, Washington, as well as Canada and Alaska.
In addition to Kitty, Jim is survived by his son Jim Jr. and his spouse Megan of Kauai, Hi, his son Matt and his spouse Annie of San Marcos, his daughter Alison Walsh of Hemet, five grandchildren, Jackson, Luke, Grace, Max and Dylan and many important Arizona relatives and life-long friends. Jim was preceded in death by his sister, Martha Stephens of Las Vegas.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday September 16, 2022 at 11:00 am at Holy Spirit Catholic Church 26340 Soboba St, Hemet, CA 92544 followed by a reception from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the Power Hall.
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