In Memory

Charles Cullum Jr

CULLUM, Charles Ray Jr., 50, of Lyons passed away Dec. 27, 2010, the result of an airplane accident. Memorial service 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, at Loveland Church of Christ, 4100 S. Taft Ave. in Loveland. Share condolences at www .ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.

Publish date: 12/29/2010

Oct. 16, 1960 — Dec. 27, 2010
 

 Charles Ray Jr.CULLUM of Lyons, died December 27, 2010, from injuries sustained in an airplane accident. He was 50 years old.

 Chuck was born on October 16, 1960, in San Diego, California, the son of Charles R. and Doris “Dottie” (Heard) Cullum. He moved to Colorado at a young age. Chuck graduated from Niwot High School in 1979. Chuck then received his associate degree in heating and air conditioning.

 Chuck married Beth on August 9, 1985.

 After working for 20 years in the industry, Chuck opened his own business, D.N.I. Heating and Air Conditioning, in 1995.

 

Chuck was a member of the Church of Christ and was involved with mission teams to the Ukraine. He enjoyed flying, golfing, hunting, working out, cars and spending time with his family and grandchild.

 

Chuck was preceded in death by his father, Charles R. Cullum.

 He is survived by three sons, Nathan Cullum of Midland, Texas, Devin Cullum of Loveland, Colorado, and Isaac Cullum of Loveland, Colorado; his mother, Dottie Cullum of Longmont; two sisters, Dana Spillyards (Jim) of Maumelle, AR, and Michelle LaManyon (Denny) of Texas and his grandchild, Landon Cullum.

 A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, December 30, 2010, at the Loveland Church of Christ, 4100 S. Taft Ave. in Loveland. Cremation at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel and Crematory. Memorial contributions may be made to The Chuck Cullum Mission Fund in C/O Ahlberg Funeral Chapel. Share condolences and memories with Chuck’s family at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.

 

 

 

Family of Chuck Cullum, who was killed in plane crash near Carter Lake, remembers his kindness

LARIMER COUNTY - A coroner has positively identified a pilot who was killed Monday in a plane crash near Carter Lake.

The Larimer County Coroner says 50-year-old Chuck Cullum, Jr. of Lyons died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma after the small plane he was flying crashed. His death was ruled an accident.

Cullum's ex-wife, Beth Cullum, says her former husband was a very giving man who owned his own small business, DNI Heating and Air Conditioning in Lyons.

"If he was at a job and the people couldn't afford to pay him, he would take jelly or something," Beth Cullum told 9Wants to Know.

Beth Cullum said authorities found her ex-husband's wallet at the scene of the plane crash. They later identified him through fingerprints.

Investigators told her there was extensive damage to the plane due to a fire, she said. The tail number on the plane, N200EP, matched the number on her former husband's plane.

"He was a Christian who traveled to Ukraine to do missionary work twice," Beth Cullum told 9Wants to Know. "He was very giving and died too young."

Chuck Cullum coached little league baseball in Lyons for about 15 years and only stopped when his three boys got into high school, Beth Cullum said.

She and her husband had been married for 25 years and were working to get back together, she said.

The Cessna 210 went down in a rugged, mountainous area about 2:45 p.m. just west of Berthoud on Monday.

The FAA says the plane was built in 1962 and was a fixed-wing single-engine plane.

The NTSB and FAA responded to the crash.

The crash caused a small wildfire about two acres in size. Firefighters quickly got it under control Monday afternoon.

 

Pilot In Fatal Plane Crash Was Lyons Business Owner

 

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS4) – The coroner in Larimer County on Tuesday afternoon identified the victim in a plane crash near Carter Lake.

Charles Cullum, 50, of Lyons, was piloting the single-engine Cessna when it crashed Monday afternoon.

The pilot’s ex-wife Beth Cullum told CBS4 that they had been married for 25 years and only got divorced last month. She said she and Cullum’s three grown sons are devastated.

Charles, known by many as “Chuck,” owned a heating and air conditioning business in Lyons and loved to fly his Cessna 210.

Beth Cullum said when she saw the report about the plane crash on the news she had a bad feeling because she said Chuck loved to fly his plane around the Carter Lake area west of Loveland.

The crash happened in the rugged foothills just west of the lake. Investigators say that at about 2:45 p.m. an air traffic controller got a “Mayday” call from Cullum’s plane and then lost contact with him.

When the plane crashed it sparked a blaze that grew to about 2 acres. Firefighters were out monitoring hotspots there on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it doesn’t appear a flight plan was filed. They said investigators will be on scene all day trying to determine what caused the crash. Beth Cullum said Chuck had recently had his plane taken in for an annual maintenan