Chester F Cullen MD

October 4, 2017

Chester Francis Cullen, MD December 19, 1923 – October 4, 2017 Dr. Cullen died peacefully at St. Francis Hospital surrounded by his loving family after a brief illness. Chester was born the son of Hugh and Sarah (Templeton) Cullen on December 19, 1923. He was the fourth of eight children. He grew up in Pennsylvania working on his grandfather’s and uncle’s farms. He graduate from University of Pittsburg with a B.Sc. degree. He obtained his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College and completed a residency in Neurology at Jefferson before completing research at the Montreal Neurological Institute. He also completed a residency in Psychiatry. Chester founded the Department of Neurology at St. Francis Hospital and was involved in both medical education and medical volunteering. Chester met his wife, Dr. Mary Theresa Cullen, on a blind date in her home town in Pennsylvania. They had two sons, Michael and Joseph. As a family they valued travel and education. Chester suffered from polio as a child and multiple sclerosis diagnosed in medical school but, in his own words, he “never allowed that to interfere with his dreams.” He worked hard to ensure he could provide for the education of his sons and grandchildren. After his retirement Chester enjoyed traveling, volunteering, gardening, and baking bread. Chester was predeceased by his siblings Hugh, Paul, Frederick, Linda, John, Sarah, and Howard. He is survived by his devoted wife of 61 years, Dr. Mary Teresa Cullen, his son Michael, his son Joseph and his wife Lauri, his grandsons Conor, Daniel, and Mark, and a granddaughter Marguerite. The family extends their thanks to the staff at St. Francis Hospital for their thoughtful care. They ask you to consider donating to Doctors Without Borders in honor of Chester.