Mr. Hubert Laws McCullough, Jr. Obituary
Mr. Hubert Laws McCullough, Jr., age 90, of Murfreesboro, TN passed away Saturday, October 26, 2019. He was born a sixth general McCullough on Friday, September 13, 1929 in what was the newly built Rutherford Hospital to the late Col. Hubert Laws McCullough, Sr. and Virginia Garrett McCullough. Mr. McCullough attended the Training School, Castle Heights Military Academy, Georgia Institute of Technology, and graduated from Middle Tennessee State College in 1951 with a bachelor’s in Mathematics. He married Clara “Dene” Branham of Lebanon, TN in April of that year.
Mr. McCullough proudly served his country in the United States Army National Guard. He began his professional career working for Widman Singleton Engineering. In 1955, he and his business partner started McCullough – Miller Construction Company which later became McCullough Contracting Company. Mr. McCullough was affiliated with CFW Construction Company for a number of years before starting McCullough Associates. In the early 1980’s, he sold McCullough Associates and opened McCullough Industries.
Mr. McCullough served as Commissioner of General Services then Commissioner of Finance and Administration both under Gov. Lamar Alexander. He established Children’s Comprehensive Services (formerly Pricor) which went public when he was their CEO until his retirement. He then was involved with the Tennessee Board of Regents and sat as their Vice President. Mr. McCullough was the chairman of the State of Tennessee Board of Education. He was a founding board member of the Christy-Houston Foundation. Mr. McCullough also served on the board for the Rutherford Hospital, Mid-South Bank and Trust Company, and the Arts Commission. He taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church and was a deacon for multiple terms. The St. Thomas Rutherford Foundation named Dene and him 2015 Philanthropist of the Year. During all this time, he also raised beef cattle on his Boxwood Farm for 28 years.
Mr. McCullough is survived by his children, Carroll O’Brien and her husband Kerry of Shelbyville, TN, Margaret May and her husband Warren of West Virginia, and H. Laws McCullough and his wife Stacey of Murfreesboro; grandchildren, Louis Legarde Battey, III and his wife Keller, Emily May Koster and her husband Reid, Warren Hamilton May, Jr., Kerry M. O’Brien, and HL McCullough; and great-grandchildren, Ford Battey and May Koster. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Clara Gene Branham McCullough; sister, Martha McCullough Bouldin; and brothers, Robert G. McCullough and Martin A. McCullough.
A memorial service will be held Friday, November 1, 2019 at 1:00pm at First Baptist Church with a reception to follow.
Memorials may be made to Special Kids, 2208 E. Main St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 or First Baptist Church, 200 E. Main St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 in memory of Mr. McCullough.
An online guestbook is available for the family at www.woodfinchapel.com. Woodfin Memorial Chapel (615) 893-5151
