Kenneth D Culberson

Kenneth D. Culberson, age 75 and a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on March 20, 2023, in his Marion, IL home with his loving family at his side.

Ken, the oldest of three children, was born on June 30, 1947, in Oconee, Illinois, to Harley and Henrietta Culberson. He spent his childhood in Pana, Illinois, and later moved to Arlington Heights as a teenager, where he graduated from Arlington High School in 1965.

In 1966, Ken joined the U.S. Air Force, where he proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1972, but continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves from 1982 until 1986, during which he traveled to Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and California.  After his military service, Ken began his career with the U.S. Postal Service in 1971, where he worked for 31 years before retiring in May of 2002.

On May 22, 1980, Ken married Margaret Champlin, and he joyfully welcomed her two children, Tony, and Carollynn, into his life, raising them as his own.  They made their home in Cary, IL, until his retirement in 2002, at which time Ken and Maggie moved to Door County, WI. They later moved to Marion, IL in 2018 to enjoy the warmer weather.

Ken had a passion for airplanes and loved learning about and exploring the world of aviation. He also enjoyed woodworking, model building, and landscaping his yard, which he took great pride in maintaining. Ken was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend, who will always be remembered for his warm smile, kind heart, wonderful sense of humor and unwavering dedication to his loved ones.

Ken was preceded in death by his mother, father, and son Anthony Lopez. He is survived by his loving wife Margaret, his brother Keith Culberson, his sister Jodee Culberson, his daughter Carollynn Lopez-Puissant, and his five grandchildren, Kenneth (Kel) Kelley, Keenan Kelley, Margaret Riley, Blaise Lopez, and Raven Lopez.

A celebration of Ken's life will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Binkley-Ross Funeral Home located at 1702 W Boulevard St, Marion, IL, from 12:00 - 2:00 PM, with a luncheon to follow at a location to be announced at the memorial. In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations to go towards the memorial.