Catherine McCulloch -Life Master


Catherine set a goal in June of 2006 to obtain the 23 gold and 37 silver points she needed to obtain her Life Master. She earned her gold points by playing on a winning knockout team in last year’s Palm Springs Regional, a second place team in the 2007 Las Vegas Regional and a third place finish in this year’s San Diego Regional, all highly competitive tournaments. After winning her gold, she still needed .65 silver points which she recently earned at the Prescott summer sectional. An outstanding accomplishment in a few months over a year.

Catherine was born on a farm in Minnesota, where long cold winters led to her passion and skill for playing card games of all sorts. She received a business degree from what is now the College of Business, Minnesota State University, Mankato. She married and then moved from the farm to Los Angeles with her loving husband, Jack, and their son, Robert. She was later blessed with four additional children. Thomas, Patricia (Garland), Kathleen and Maureen (Kowalsky).

Catherine was a working mother who obtained her real estate license in 1969 and real estate broker license in 1970, and co-founded McCulloch Realty with her husband, Jack. Jack became a very successful real estate developer in West Los Angeles, Brentwood and Santa Monica. The family lived in Beverly Hills. Catherine instilled her Irish Catholic values of hard work, sound morals, family values in her children and subsequent grandchildren as well as a respect and love for education. Jack and Catherine’s children have all obtained their college and in some cases, advanced college degrees.

In addition to running a household with five children and working with her husband at McCulloch Realty, Inc., Catherine found time to share her talents, working at Catholic Charities with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where she was recognized by His Eminence Cardinal Mahony for her significant contributions to the poor with “The Cardinal’s Award” in 1989.

Catherine and Jack (now deceased) moved to Sedona from Beverly Hills in 1994. Catherine’s daughter, Patricia, also lives in Sedona. Catherine’s never ending reserve of energy continues to find outlets in her part-time position as Membership Registrar at St. John Vianney and her passion for bridge. She also loves to have dinner parties in her home, attending to every detail, from the menu to exquisite place settings, and décor for her home.

Catherine started to play bridge in Sedona just a few years ago. She took lessons from Suzanne Wells. Like many other Sedona players, Catherine is now “hooked” on the out of town tournaments, enjoying the camaraderie and travel. She says that her children are “ecstatic” that she is traveling to the bridge tournaments. She acknowledges her bridge partners, including Marsha & Darryl Helton, Mimi Esser and Jay Kavanaugh, without whose support and generosity and spirit, she could not have achieved her Life Master.

Catherine’s children are continually amazed and proud of their mother and her example of perseverance and skill. She is an example to her entire family that it is never too late to seek excellence and lofty goals.

Our congratulations and best wishes to Catherine McCulloch.

Written by Marsha Helton with assistance from Robert McCulloch, Catherine’s son.