For 40 Years, Frank Culp Jr., 84, Engineered State Highway System

Frank Edward Culp Jr. started a 40-year career with the Washington state Department of Highways as part of the Wenatchee survey crew that located the route for the North Cascades Highway.

"The survey was done on horseback," his son, Robert Culp of Wenatchee, recalled. "He lived on cheese morning, noon and night. After that, he never ate it again."

Twenty years later, in 1952, Mr. Culp began work as the construction engineer of the largest and longest project of his career: the construction of Interstate 5 from Tukwila to Everett.

He worked on the highway until his retirement in 1972.

Mr. Culp of Mercer Island died April 10 of heart failure near Lake Whatcom. He was 84.

The eldest son of Wenatchee pioneers Dr. Frank and Ruby Culp, he was born and raised in Wenatchee, graduating from Wenatchee High School in 1929 and later earning a civil engineering degree from the University of Washington.

After his father died during The Depression, Mr. Culp and his three brothers took turns working to put each other through college, recalled his sister-in-law, Ruthmarie Quigley.

"They would stay out of school and work, then the next brother would go through school," said Quigley. "They did this to help their mother."

After college, Mr. Culp became a civil engineer and structural engineer with the Washington state Department of Highways (now the Department of Transportation). He married Berwin Hulpert in 1938.

He spent 14 years in the bridges section of the Highway Department, then moved to Seattle, where he was construction engineer of several major projects including the First Avenue South Bridge and the I-5 project.

During the I-5 project, Mr. Culp "came up with the solution to a big problem," said Robert Culp.

"Capitol Hill was basically sliding into the freeway," said Robert. "When they took away the surface of the freeway, the compressed ground gave way and the ground started bubbling."

Mr. Culp developed a new kind of cylinder wall that exerted enough pressure on the clay to stabilize it.

He also took great pride in his work.

"Every time we took a trip, my father would take a special precaution to see one of the bridges he had designed," recalled Robert.

Even after his retirement, Quigley said, Mr. Culp enjoyed keeping tabs on the construction of other bridges.

He especially liked to watch the progress of Interstate 90 and the Mercer Island Floating Bridge, she said.

Mr. Culp was a fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers and past commodore of the Olympia Yacht Club. He enjoyed looking at old steam locomotives and vintage cars, especially those from the 1930s.

Besides his son, Mr. Culp is survived by his wife, of Mercer Island, son Frank Culp of Wickersham, Whatcom County; daughter, Meredith Barnas of Mercer Island, brothers Robert Culp of Wenatchee and King Culp of Spokane, and four grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, 11 N. Chelan St. in Wenatchee. Donations may be sent to the Paramedics of Acme, Whatcom County, or the First Presbyterian Church in Wenatchee.