Obituary of Thomas Charles Cully

Thomas Charles Cully, age 69, of Hawley, PA, passed away peacefully at home on August 22, 2018. A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Hawley on Saturday, September 1, at 2:00 p.m. A reception in the church's fellowship hall will follow. Born and raised in the Back Mountain area of Northeast PA, Tom graduated Dallas High School in 1967 and Cornell University in 1971. At Cornell, he studied horticulture, after working as a youth in a local greenhouse for years, but, ultimately, he majored In agricultural economics. He enjoyed a successful career in banking, working in back offices at banks in Wilkes-Barre and Florida and eventually joining a South-Carolina-based consulting group, traveling throughout the country as an expert in banking operations. An early retiree, he spent almost 20 years as the primary caregiver for his mother, whom he adored, in the Hunlock Creek home he built for them. In 2011, he married Christine French Clark and relocated to Honesdale and later Hawley. Tom was active in the First Presbyterian Church of Hawley, where he served briefly as treasurer and made many dear friends. He was also a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, working with a dedicated local crew that came to be very important to him and describing the experience as both rewarding and humbling. As a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, he drove cancer patients to medical appointments. His own cancer eventually made that too difficult, but he often spoke of finding inspiration and courage from the people he met who shared their stories in transit. A self-described introvert, Tom was intentional about engaging with people, and he demonstrated genuine interest by both word and deed. Tom cherished life, and he often greeted a new morning by declaring "It's a great day to be alive!" Some of the things that gave him joy included golf, camping in the Finger Lakes, long walks, an eagle sighting, his pristine Mazda RX7, a gorgeous sunset, a well socialized cat, and golf (so loved worth mentioning twice). He described Christine as the love of his life whenever he spoke of her, which was often. In addition to Christine, survivors include his much-loved stepchildren and spouses Matthew Clark and wife Jessie of Smyrna, TN, Alison Clark Ferro and husband Matthew of Nashville, TN; sister Patti Tyson (Carl) of Rochester, NH; niece Amy Tyson Lefebvre (Trent) and their son Tyson of Barrington, NH; and sisters Mary Martin of Hunlock Creek and Pamela McDonald of Dallas, PA. He was preceded in death by his mother, Katie Cully, in 2010. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution to Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County or the Dessin Animal Shelter. Other ways to honor Tom's memory include becoming a volunteer or simply offering frequent "random acts of kindness" to brighten a world made dimmer by the passing of Tom "Chuck" Cully.