Life Tributes George Christopher McCullah
January 8, 1923 - January 2, 2021
LA JOLLA — George passed away peacefully at home on the morning of January 2, 2021, at the age of 97. Chris, as he was known, was born in Marionville, Missouri, to Dote and Flora McCullah.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served aboard the USS Minneapolis in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Chris was awarded 12 Major Battle Stars, 9 Ribbons, and 7 Medals. He was honorably discharged in 1946, then attended and graduated from Southwest Missouri State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration.
Chris moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began a successful career with I. Magnin & Co., a luxury department store in Beverly Hills. He had the pleasure of becoming friends with the top movie stars of the 1950s and 1960s and would delight family and friends with many amazing stories. Chris met the love of his life, Elizabeth, while working there, and they married in 1957 at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. The couple moved to La Jolla, California, in 1970 when he accepted the position of Store Manager of I. Magnin & Co. After many years there, Chris worked at the newly opened Neiman Marcus in San Diego, retiring in 1999.
He loved traveling the world with Liz, and they had an active social life; they were involved with the La Jolla Contemporary Museum, The Stuart Collection at UCSD, among other organizations and charities. They were parishioners for 40 years at Mary, Star of the Sea Church, where Chris was an usher. He enjoyed gardening, music, dancing, and reminiscing and had a wonderful sense of humor and a positive attitude. Chris was a proud Navy Veteran, attending military ceremonies and has a plaque at Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial. He will leave behind a legacy of fond memories with all of those that he touched during his long life and will be lovingly missed by family, friends, and neighbors.
Chris is survived by his wife, Liz, of 63 years; his daughter Lisa Elkhoury and grandchildren Nicholas Elkhoury and Alexandra Elkhoury; cousins Earl Burk and Gail Blades of Missouri and their families, and close friends Tom and Kitty Spence.
Chris’s family would especially like to thank the caregivers from Love at Home Cares, Inc. and Apreva Hospice.
Private services and interment at Miramar National Cemetery will be held at a later date. Donations in George Christopher McCullah’s name can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital stjude.org and Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial www. soledadmemorial.com