Saddleback College Pays Respects to Deceased Professor

A memorial service was held for Richard D. McCullough on Thursday at the McKinney Theater at . McCullough passed away Jan. 31, at the age of 70, after losing his battle with colon cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Diana McCullough, a faculty member at Irvine Valley College; his children, Sean McCullough, Sheri Norwood, Melissa Scott Ross and McKenna Scott; grandchildren Jackson and Ethan Norwood; and brother David McCullough.

“I have known Dr. McCullough for 22 years,” Diana Lam-Wong said. “He was my teacher, mentor, and a great friend.”

McCullough served at Saddleback College for 37 years in various positions, including president; vice president for instruction; dean of mathematics, science, and engineering; academic senate president; and professor in the biological sciences department.

He not only designed the school’s electron microscopy laboratory, but helped build its solar observatory. During his tenure as the college president, he contributed to the building of the Veterans Memorial at Saddleback College.

His life was nearly encompassed by the education field. McCullough taught at Loyola University, Mirman School of the Gifted, Montessori School, Moorpark College and Newbury Park High School. He was also involved in many education-based advisory boards such as UC Irvine, Orange County Science Educators Network, the Irvine Unified School District, Cal State Fullerton's School of Natural Science & Mathematics, Saddleback Unified School District, California State Liaison Committee on Natural Sciences, and California Postsecondary Education Commission.

McCullough graduated with a bachelor’s in biological sciences from Loyola University and obtained a master’s in cellular biology from Purdue University. He earned a doctorate in psychophysiology from U.S. International University. 

Family members requested attendees donate to the Dr. Richard D. McCullough Physiology Scholarship and the Saddleback College Veterans Memorial Funds.