Charles Harold McCullough

McCullough, Charles Harold, departed this life at the age of 84 on June 17, 2022. He was born on March 29, 1938, in Dallas, Texas, to Harold Adolphus McCullough and Sarah Elizabeth Adcox. Charles was passionate about music at an early age, presenting his first public piano recital at age 10 and making his debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at age 14. While in high school, he played recitals across the Southwest and in 1955, he won the State Fair of Texas Talent Competition. He was a cheerleader and president of his senior class at Dallas' Sunset High School, where he graduated in 1956. He earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and a master's degree from Indiana University. Charles was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and Phi Mu Lambda and also studied at the Musik Hochshule in Munich Germany, on a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship. Although he was a classically trained pianist, he easily crossed genres playing everything from Boogie Woogie to Chopin. Charles won the G.B Dealey Piano Competition in 1960. He was awarded a special citation, "Outstanding Virtuoso," in the Alfredo Casella International Piano Competition in 1964 in Naples, Italy. He t...[more]

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elled the world to perform in Mexico, France, Germany and Italy. Charles served in the United States Airforce band from 1960-1962, before moving to Europe to continue his studies, teach and perform. He later continued his music instruction career at Ithica College and the University of North Texas before returning to Europe to teach at the United World College at St. Donat's Castle in Wales _1977-1987), where he also performed special recitals for HRH Prince Charles. He returned to the Dallas area in 1987 to begin private piano instruction and became Music Director for Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas, where he worked until retiring in 2010, due to declining health. Charles was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Marlene Ann McCullough Beasley and his son Timothy Rufus McCullough. He is survived by his former wife Juliette McCullough and two daughters Melissa Ann Gruenwald and Franceska Danielle McCullough. He was also survived by his longtime friend, Skippy. Private Arrangements.