Darrell Lee McCulley

Surrounded by family, Darrell McCulley, age 82, of Grafton, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2026, after a courageous eight-year battle with cancer.

Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, and raised in Ness City, Kansas, Darrell lived an adventurous and full life marked by deep love for family, unwavering faith, and a wonderful sense of humor. Darrell was preceded in death by his parents, Leslie Fred and Olive Millie McCulley, sister, Louise Turk, and brothers James William McCulley and Leslie Dean McCulley.

He was a proud United States Marine veteran who served his country with honor and cherished the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight in recent years.

Darrell was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He shared 60 beautiful years of marriage with his beloved wife, Vivian McCulley (née Tillberg). Together they left a trail of friends and cherished memories through the Midwest from Derby, Kansas where their children were born, through Dayton, Ohio, and Farmington Hills, Michigan where he took an early retirement from GMAC. They spent their retirement years at Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee, where family gatherings on the water brought him immense joy. In 2018, Darrell and Vivian moved to Grafton, WI to be near family and shortly thereafter Darrell received his esophageal cancer diagnosis.

He was a proud father to his three children: Michelle Rishel (Scott), Christy Wright (Tim), and Darren McCulley (Staccia Baxter) and a loving grandfather to his six grandchildren: Carly Rishel, Leah Rankin (Josiah), Joseph Wright, Morgan Wright, Phoebe McCulley, and Dolan McCulley.

Darrell was a masterful storyteller who loved sharing tales from his adventurous life. He had a great sense of humor and was a notorious practical joker. He also loved to bake and generously shared his treats with family and friends — especially his famous peanut brittle, cinnamon rolls, and cookies.

For the past eight years, Darrell faced cancer with remarkable strength and grace. He built strong relationships with fellow patients and staff at the Aurora Cancer Center in Grafton, consistently showing up with a positive attitude, cheer, and encouragement for others.

Most importantly, Darrell’s deep faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of his life. He experienced the profound joy of a personal relationship with his Savior and looked forward with anticipation to the day he would be with Him.

A celebration of Darrell’s life will be held on Friday, May 29 at Eernisse Funeral Home in Cedarburg: visitation at 3:00pm, service at 4:00pm and a reception following the service in the community room at Eernisse. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to the - Aurora Health Care Foundation – Cancer Services Fund Grafton. (Aurora Medical Center - Grafton - Aurora Health Care Foundation)

He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.