Mark Mc Cullough ’76
Mark E. McCullough, a former Glen Rock councilman known for his sense of humor and commitment to his hometown, died Oct. 25 after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church, Hawthorne, with visiting Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Vander Plaat-Caggiano Funeral Home in Fair Lawn.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Lifelong friend John Hahn said Mr. McCullough underwent a medical procedure in July 2016 but felt there was some other underlying health issue.
“He told me he had an inkling that something was off,” said Hahn. “As the disease progressed and he was unable to speak, he texted me “this sucks.”
Mr. McCullough was born in Washington, D.C.
His family moved to Glen Rock when he was a toddler.
He was one of nine children, eight boys and one girl.
“Our parents became friends and so did we. We were each other’s best man,” said Hahn. “We had the same jokes and idiosyncrasies of life. He leaves a huge hole in my life.”
Mr. McCullough played soccer at Glen Rock High School and graduated in 1972. He continued playing the sport at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.
“He was one of the original founders of the Glen Rock soccer organization,” said Hahn. “He played on the men’s softball team for six decades.”
In 2009, his passion for sports and sense of civic duty prompted him to create the non-profit GAME-ON! Glen Rock to raise funds to build a state-of-the-art recreation complex at Lower Faber field, a dream that ultimately did not come to fruition.
“Mark was always enthusiastic about projects that would make our town better,” said Mayor Bruce Packer. “He thought outside the box and went against the status quo. Unfortunately, the timing was not right and we were unsuccessful with this project.”
A Democrat, McCullough served as councilman from 2005-08 and urged Packer to run for office.
“Mark was always there to encourage others to step up and help make Glen Rock better,” said Packer. “He was always thinking about creative ways to generate tax revenue for the town. We are really going to need someone to fill these shoes.”
Mr. McCullough’s passion for his hometown was eclipsed only by his love of the Yankees.
“There’s no coincidence that Mark died on the day the Yankees lost [to the Houston Astros] and did not advance to the World Series,” said Hahn. “I think if the Yankees had made it, Mark may have kept going.”
In a final act of giving, Mr. McCullough had donated his body to an ALS study at the University of Pennsylvania.
“He was incredibly loving and devoted to his family,” said Hahn. “He would move mountains for people, but if you were on his bad side he wouldn’t give you the time of day.”
Mr. McCullough is survived by his wife of 36 years, Suzanne Audet McCullough, daughter Roxanne and son Brian.