Cecil Fred Culverhouse

What is the measure of a man? Fred Culverhouse was born on January 26th, 1935, in Pampa, TX. He died on June 4th, 2026, in San Antonio, TX. Beginning and ending life in Texas fitting bookends to a full and joyful life.

Although proud of his Texas roots, he was hardly provincial. Growing up in Washington state and California’s central valley, he spent most of his life overseas, teaching for the Department of Defense in Germany and Italy.

Although he was an avid sportsman—he skied every season even into his early 80s and coached soccer and golf—he was hardly a jock. He and his wife and son traveled all over Europe. As a teacher of English and Theater in Augsburg, Germany, he loved Shakespeare. He directed and acted in many plays and took his senior students to London every year to see plays and visit Shakespeare’s home. Much of the life advice he gave his son was in the form of quotes from Shakespeare: “Neither a borrower nor a lender be… To thine own self be true.”

Although he enjoyed the finer things in life, he was hardly a snob. His main criteria for good wine was that it be red and contained at least 12% alcohol.

Although he loved socializing with friends, he was devoted to his family, both immediate and extended. He and his wife, Maida, traveled life together for 65 years. He was the brother of three siblings (survived only by Norma Lee King) and beloved uncle of many nephews and nieces. He doted over his two grandchildren, danced with his daughter-in-law, and never let his son down.

He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a husband, a father, a teacher, a coach, and a grandfather. He loved every one of these roles and played them all well. He died as he lived, with his collar turned up. Upon his death, his family recited over him these words from Hamlet: “Now breaks a noble heart. Goodnight, sweet prince, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”