Dennis Ray Mccully

Dennis R. McCully, 62, of Saltillo, Mississippi and Lebanon, Tennessee, died Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at home following complications of aortic valve replacement surgery. He was born February 3, 1957, in Saltillo, Mississippi, the son of Dudley and Opal McCully. He attended Mississippi State University and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering. He worked in the automotive and aerospace industry for nearly 40 years. First as an engineer at United Technologies and later as a laboratory quality control assessor at the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. One of his favorite professional endeavors included training a new generation of A2LA assessors. He never met a question he couldn’t answer. As a child, he read the encyclopedia for fun. Engineering was in his blood and he could think things into existing.

Always ready with an “I love you” or an “I’m proud of you,” his proudest accomplishment was raising his two children, Sean and Katherine. He bragged about them to anyone who stood still long enough to listen. He raised his children to be strong and smart and capable. He made sure they had good tools and knew how to use them.

He was an expert Christmas toy assembler and could perfectly arrange the stickers on a Barbie Dream House in spite of how tiny they were and how big his hands were. Later in life, when his hair and beard turned white, he earned a reputation as Santa Claus. During his travels for work, a stranger once walked up to him and said, “I’ve been very good and I want a pony.” In his always charming way, he responded, “I’ll see what I can do.” One of his most treasured experiences was taking photos as Santa for a local photographer. In the hospital before his surgery, he proudly showed all the doctors and nurses his photos and told stories about the child in each one.

He married his wife Pam in 1979. He called her his “lovely wife” and brought home fresh flowers to her at least once a week. They met in junior college at Northeast Mississippi Community College at the Baptist Student Union and he often told stories about how he fell in love with Pam’s bright blue eyes. Just shy of celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, they were truly soulmates and set a shining example of what a marriage should be for their children. His children will remember him for his warm hugs, willingness to drop everything and come to the rescue, his gentle prayers around the dinner table, his love for “Bonanza,” making popcorn on the stove and his endless capacity for kindness. His family made the decision to donate his organs. Among other things, part of his donation will go to help children with cleft palates. There is no more fitting way to say goodbye to our real-life Santa than with one last gift.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Opal and Dudley T. McCully and his father-in-law, Houston Gann. He is survived by his wife, Pam, Saltillo, MS; Mother-in-law, Florence Gann, Burnsville, MS; children, Sean McCully (Maggie Cusick), Clarksville, TN and Katherine McCully (Wes Duplantier), Lebanon, TN and brother, Ron (Sue) McCully, Saltillo, MS.

Visitation will be from noon to 3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 18, 2019, at New Lebanon Freewill Baptist Church in Cairo, MS. Funeral services are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday at New Lebanon Freewill Baptist Church, with Bro. Jack Whitley officiating. Interment will follow in New Lebanon Cemetery. There will be no graveside service. Memorials may be made to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital.