Jesse Dee McCullough

Jesse Dee McCullough of Richland, Washington, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011. He was born on Christmas Eve in 1913 to Jesse Lamar and Laura Ann McCullough in Provo, Utah where he lived until he was 3 years old. The family then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lived during his growing up years. Dee, as he was known to most people, married Anna Mae McQueen on June 20, 1934 at the home of his parents in Salt Lake City. They were later sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on March 13, 1935.

Dee began his career working at the Marlo Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah. He enjoyed the challenge of working with the theater�s sound equipment and this encouraged him to take some electrical engineering classes at the University of Utah. Through his experience with theater sound equipment and the electrical engineering classes he took at the University of Utah, he was hired in 1942 by the Utah Ordinance Plant Remington Arms. This led him to eventually be hired by the DuPont Company and he left for Richland, Washington, arriving on January 1, 1944, where he began work on the Manhattan Engineering Project as an Instrument Supervisor. Like many others, he thought the job would be temporary but he and his family stayed and made Richland their home, making it his home for almost 68 years. One of the highlights of his career was during World War II, when he was able to briefly work with the Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, who at that time was known as Dr. Farmer for security reasons. He is proud of the work accomplished at the Hanford B Reactor and was a member of the B Reactor Museum Association. He enjoyed giving tours of B Reactor and worked hard for its preservation.

Dee was a member of the Cottonwood Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With his wife Anna Mae he served as a worker in the Seattle Temple. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his sons. He spent many years working in the Scouting Program and earned the Silver Beaver Award in 1956. Recently he was honored in his ward during a One Hundred Years of Scouting Celebration. It was his family, however, that has always been the most important thing to him.

He is survived by his children, LaRae Croft Mack, Don McCullough, Sr., Ken McCullough, Sr., Robert McCullough Oralee, and Laura Davis Don. He is also survived by two brothers, Jim McCullough and Bill McCullough Shirley. He has 20 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and one more great-grandchild on the way. Dee was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Mae McCullough.

Funeral services honoring Dee will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 22, 2011 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1720 Thayer in Richland, WA. There will be a viewing at the Church from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Interment will be at the Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dee�s name can be made to the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice.