Passed peacefully on October 4, 2022, at the age of 85. Born in Youngstown, Ohio on May 1, 1937, the only child of Melvin A. Culp and Dorothy (Nee Bear) Culp. He is survived by his son, William, and sister-in-law, Janet Keck, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by the light of his life, soul mate, and tennis partner of 52 years, Virginia "Ginny" (Nee Keck).
He attended The Rayen School in Youngstown and earned a B.S. Degree from Ohio State University where he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Upon completion of college, Mel enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was ordered to Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, thus beginning a 25-year active and Reserve Navy career. While serving aboard the USS Lamar in 1962, he met Herb Brickson, also a Naval Reservist, who introduced him to his future wife on a blind date. The attraction was immediate, and Mel and Ginny married at St. Jude’s on February 16, 1963. They had plan to marry in June when Mel completed his active duty. However, when Mel was selected for Navy post graduate school in Monterey, CA the wedding date was changed to February. Ginny, already acting like a Navy wife changed the plans without complaint.
After completing his active duty, the couple returned to Milwaukee. Mel accepted a position as Systems Analyst with the Falk Corporation. He worked at Falk until 1974 when he left to help organize a new joint systems and data processing venture for Allis Chalmers and Siemens AG. In 1984, those operations were relocated to a newly built Siemens facility in Florida where Mel and Ginny lived for eight years. They moved back to Milwaukee in 1992 when Mel was named Information Resources Manager for Siemens’ Fossil Power Division.
in 1998 Siemens purchase Westinghouse and Mel was active in the company’s global systems integration planning. Although Mel was offered a position in Florida, the couple decided that after 9 relocations, enough was enough. He retired for Siemens in May 2000.
Mel was active in several professional and military organizations, principally ASM (Association of Systems Management) where he served as President of the Milwaukee and later, Tampa Bay Chapters.
An avid tennis player, Mel was one of the founders of the Menomonee Falls Tennis Club. He and Ginny played many tournaments in both Milwaukee and Sarasota. In 1982 Mel and his doubles partner, Jack Hill achieved state ranking. Mel’s golfing was not nearly as good and in 25 years he was unable to beat his golfing buddy Bill O’Neil Jr. After a bout of shingles impacted his eyes and left him unable to play tennis, Mel traded his tennis racquet for his trusty ukulele -an instrument he’d noodled with since childhood. He started playing seriously and joined the Milwaukee Ukulele Club.
A private military ceremony will precede Inurnment. Mel will be reunited with his soul mate at Southern Wisconsin Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Union Grove, WI.
