Noah McCullough

Noah Louis McCullough was born in Bryan, Texas on December 2, 1926 to Noah and Pansy Hall McCullough, and died on April 9, 2016 in Waco. Better known to friends and family as “Mac,” he is survived by his wife of 66 years, Cecil Kelley McCullough; his children and their spouses, Rand and Barbara McCullough, Amanda and Scott Kimbrough, and Brent McCullough; grandchildren Carmen McCullough-Pannell, Ben Kimbrough; and Kelley McCullough. He had three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his grandson John Kimbrough.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Mac had a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel. He served in World War II for two years and, as a fighter jet pilot, flew over 100 combat missions in Korea, oversaw base operations at Yakota Air Force Base in Japan for three years, worked at the Pentagon and was a flight commander and pilot in Vietnam where he flew C-130s. He was a highly decorated officer, earning a number of prestigious military awards including an Air Force Commendation Medal.

A pilot’s pilot, Mac loved to fly. In retirement, he built his own beloved plane, Blue Jeans, and took to the skies often with his wife, children and grandchildren, treating them to barrel rolls, loops, hammerheads, and other stunts performed with precision. An avid modeler, he spent countless hours designing, building, and flying radio-controlled and U-controlled planes. Building planes was a hobby he shared with his two sons. Devoted to his family, he had a sharp sense of humor and a kind smile. He will be greatly missed.