Peter D. Culbertson

Peter D. Culbertson, 85, of Lewisburg, passed away Friday, September 22, 2017 at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA.

He was born May 8, 1932 in Cheltenham, PA, son of the late Elliot and Ruth (Woolens) Culbertson. On September 28, 1973, he married Mary Ellen McCuen Stieler, who survives him. Together they celebrated 43 years of marriage.

Pete was a 1950 graduate of South Side High School in Rockville Centre, NY.  He attended Valley Forge Military Academy and Colgate University.

Pete was an industrious man all his life, beginning his work life in high school by digging basements in Levittown, NY.  During the war, he served his country as a Foreman, building airplanes at Republic Aviation/Grumman.  When the war ended, Pete transitioned into the retail department store field where he would work for many years.  Pete started working for Macy’s New York in the 4th basement stock room and later moved to Davison’s in Atlanta and J.L. Hudson Co. in Detroit, MI where he started as a Coat Buyer.  In 1977 Pete left Hudson’s as a Senior Vice President and went on to hold Executive Management positions with the Joseph Horne Co. in Pittsburgh, College Town-Panter and Oleg Cassini in New York, and Woolrich in Pennsylvania.  In the final decade of his career, Pete worked as President of Rutter Rex in New Orleans, which made uniforms for the US military and the US Postal Service.  Pete was the definition of a self-made man who started humbly and through determination and hard work rose to the highest echelons of business and life.

Outside of work, Pete was an avid outdoorsman who loved trapshooting, hunting and fishing all over the United States, including Alaska.  Pete was a past President of the Camp Fire Club of America and a member of the New York Athletic Club, the Atlantic Indians, Okoboji Indians, the Norry Gun Club, the Union County Sportsman’s Club, Keystone Sportsman’s Club, and a life time member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association.  Pete built strong and lasting friendships through his shooting and hunting affiliations and he valued these relationships greatly.  An accomplished marksman, Pete especially enjoyed teaching his sons and grandson how to shoot, hunt and fish.

Pete was a Free and Accepted Mason of Lodge No. 22 in Sunbury. He was also a 32nd degree Mason member of the Scottish Rite of the Valley of Williamsport, Companion of the Northumberland Royal Arch Chapter No. 174, and a Sir Knight of the Mt. Herman Commandery No. 85.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are two sons and daughters-in-law, Daniel E. and Jennifer Culbertson, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and Scott R. and Jennifer Stieler, of Lewisburg PA, and three grandchildren, Sydney, Benjamin and Kent Stieler.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by one son, Steven S. Culbertson and one brother, Richard Culbertson.

Services will be held on Tuesday October 3rd with a visitation at 10:15am and a memorial service at 11am at the Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis Streets, Lewisburg, followed by a celebration of his life at Brasserie Louis, located at 101 Market St. 

A private burial will take place at Lewisburg Cemetery. 

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