Jeanne Cullen

John got off to a tough start, losing his mother, Ellen, at the age of 5 and his Father, Peter, at 13. He and his brother, Michael, lived with their Aunt Hattie after the death of their mother. John excelled in school once it was discovered that he desperately needed glasses, well into grade school . He and his brother along with their father made the trek to Medford every weekend to visit their sister, Mary, who was living with other relatives. John loved popular music and had a gift for drawing. He had a great sense of humor and a terrible sense of direction. He could fix anything and was often called upon to do so by his extended family. During WWII, John’s vision problems kept him from active duty until the last stages of the war. He served as a radio host at a military facility for blinded soldiers. His brother, Mike, served in France and died on the last day of the war from unknown causes. John married Mildred Hanlon of Newton, Massachusetts. He worked as a mailman at first and settled in the Oak Hill neighborhood of Newton. After the birth of their first child, Joan, the family moved to Lexington, Mass. where they eventually had a second daughter, Jeanne. After leaving the post office, John was hired as an electrician at the Boston Navy Yard where he worked until he was medically retired. The retirement came after John fell from scaffolding, broke his back and fractured his scull. Not long after the accident, John was diagnosed with kidney disease. In 1975 He and Mildred moved to a beach condo in Florida. He underwent a kidney transplant soon after the move. Complication arising after transplant ended his life at 57. John F. Cullen was a man who had few breaks in life; but, in spite of that, worked very hard to support and maintain his family. He wrote a birthday poem for each of his daughters every year and showed his love through a million actions. He is loved and missed.