Henry Grady Culbertson, Jr.

Henry Culbertson, Jr.

Henry Grady Culbertson, Junior died on Tuesday, December17, the morning of his ninety-fourth birthday. He was resident of Oakhaven Senior Care Center in Darlington, SC and was the beloved husband of Lyl F. Culbertson for 69 years. Mrs. Culbertson died in 2011. Mr. and Mrs. Culbertson were residents of Rock Hill until 2009 when they moved to Darlington to be with their oldest son. Mr. Culbertson is survived by his two sons H. Grady Culbertson III (Julie) of Darlington and Robert A. “Tab” Culbertson of Rock Hill. He is also survived by his younger brother Robert Edward Culbertson, Tallahassee, FL., his sister Margaret Ellen Sullivan, Tylertown, MS. and by three granddaughters, Julia Amanda (Adam) Hayes, Alexandria, VA, Katherine Eve (Robert) Miranda, Vienna, Austria, and Jennifer Culbertson (Bryan) Latham, Fairfax, VA. Mr. Culbertson was great-grandfather to Julia Emory and John Briggs Hayes of Northern Virginia and Katherine Elizabeth, Robert Henry. “Hank” and James Grady Miranda presently living in Austria. He loved them very much.
Mr. Culbertson was born on December 17th, 1920, to Henry G. and Hester R. Culbertson of Spartanburg. He graduated from Spartanburg High School and Wofford College. He was the oldest of five brothers and one sister. Grady and two of his brothers William L. and Abner C. “Tab” served in the Army in World War II. “Tab, his younger brother, served in the 100th Infantry Division in France and was killed in action on December 7th 1944.
In 1942, Grady became a flight training cadet in the Army Air Corps and attended Western Reserve University in Dayton, OH. By 1944 he was rated as a PILOT and was assigned to a B-24 Liberator crew as a copilot. He was in the 15th Air Force assigned to the 461st Bomb Group, 49th Bomb Wing operating out of southern Italy.
After the war, he continued flying with the South Carolina National Guard assigned as an artillery liaison pilot for the 51st Division in Spartanburg. He served there until he retired from the National Guard in 1963.
Mr. Culbertson was an employee of Roger Milliken’s textile enterprises assigned as a Standards Department analyst at Drayton Cotton Mill in Spartanburg. Later he moved to Hartsville where he was Personnel Manager at the Hartsville Cotton Mill until the mill closed in 1967. His later work years were spent at York County Technical College in Rock Hill as the director of the night school. He retired in 1982.
Mr. Culbertson was a charter member of Lakewood Baptist Church in Rock Hill teaching Sunday School for many years. He was an artist, an aviator, and an all-round interesting person to talk with. He loved talking about science, politics, religion, airplanes and flying. He will be remembered for his devotion to his wife Lyl, his younger son Tab, and to his church.
Funeral services will be held on Monday December 29th at 12:00 noon at Lakewood Baptist Church in Rock Hill, SC. Burial will follow at Forest Hills Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday, December 29th, from 11 – 12 at Lakewood Baptist Church.
Memorials may be made to Lakewood Baptist Church Building Debt Retirement Fund, 3520 Mount Gallant Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732.
Bratton Funeral Home in York is serving the Culbertson family.