Keith Culliton, 50 years of community service
Keith Culliton grew up on a farm in North Easthope Township, andmoved to Stratford in 1947, where he began his career in the plumbing and sheet-metal business with R. T. McBride Ltd.
In 1964, Keith and his brother George bought the business and renamed it Culliton Brothers Ltd. Now run by Tim Culliton, Keith's son, the company has transformed into Culliton Mechanical, Electrical and HVAC.
Tim Culliton began working for his father in 1991 and took over the business between 1998 and 2003. “In business, what I learned from him is that he loved to win, but he was not a win-at-all-costs kind of guy. My dad was fair, and he put great effort into everything that he did, but he also wasn’t afraid of failure. My dad was a very optimistic person. He always believed in the best in other people, and he was really good at helping people achieve their potential. He didn’t limit you.”
Throughout his more than 50 years of public service, Keith served as city councillor, Catholic school board trustee and chairman, public utilities commissioner, president of the Stratford Rotary Club, and twice the mayor of Stratford (1972-1974) and (1976-1978). They were among the many roles and duties he took on during his life in the city.
As a business owner and a politician, Keith Culliton was a supporter of minor sports in the city. As most Stratford residents know, he and his brother George were responsible in 1975 for initiating their longtime sponsorship of Stratford’s junior B hockey team. Keith built his family home on Hibernia Street, where he and his wife, Fran (Graf), raised their seven children. His family, his family business, his community service, and his leadership as a businessman all were important to Keith Culliton, who died in 2018 at age 91.
Colleen Misener, a 15-year councillor who served with Keith Culliton during his terms as mayor and long after, said his leadership often helped guide her and her colleagues through the tricky-to-navigate situations every municipal council faces. Source: Former Stratford mayor leaves behind a legacy of service, commitment | The Stratford Beacon Herald
Honour for Mayor Culliton, 2002
There is a plaque to honour Mayor Keith A. Culliton at former Stratford Normal School and teachers college (1908-1973) (see Water Street). The building was repurposed as The Discovery Centre, once housed the Stratford-Perth Museum, and is now leased by the city to the Stratford Festival. The Culliton family asked Dean Robinson to craft the wording for the plaque, and those words are:
The Keith A. Culliton Dome
The dome atop this historical building is named in honour of Keith A. Culliton who has served this community in exemplary fashion. Through his term as a School Board Trustee, Public Utilities Commissioner, City Councillor and Mayor, he has employed the same focus and commitment that have made him successful in business.