Marilyn A. McCullar

Marilyn A. (Hansen) McCullar passed from this life on January 10, 2024. Her beloved husband Joel was at her side every step of her long, difficult, final journey. Marilyn was born in Southern California.  She grew into a tall, blonde, and dynamic woman.  She attracted the attention of Joel McCullar, a successful jockey, who lived in the same apartment building in Imperial Beach, CA. He asked her out, and they married a scant year later. Marilyn and Joel loved and supported each other for the next 56 years.

The couple moved to Ohio and Marilyn became a realtor. It was the perfect profession for her. A force to be reckoned with, she loved what she did, and her success allowed the couple to travel and to maintain residences in Ohio, Florida and South Carolina.  She always had a kitty or two, and she decorated with lots of beach colors, beach items (shells, sea glass, and sunsets), with many pictures of a smiling Joel, in his racing silks, next to a famous owner.

They were a dramatic couple. Marilyn dressed with panache (you will remember Marilyn’s fur coat), and Joel wore his own natty attire, and the couple was always picturedwith broad grins, their arms around each other. They had no children together, but Marilyn’s niece Veronique always had a special place in their hearts. Also important to them was Pauline, Marilyn’s sister, who was loyal, protective and loving as only a sister can be. Marilyn also leaves behind her devoted caregivers, her hospice team, her two companions, and the couple’s numerous friends across the country, especially in California, Florida, South Carolina, and Ohio.

A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 10 AM at the Church of St. Dominic, 19000 Van Aken Blvd., Shaker Heights. All are invited afterwards to an informal gathering at Brown-Forward Funeral Home, 17022 Chagrin Blvd, Cleveland, OH, where you can share Marilyn stories and have light refreshments.