Obituary for Henry Louis Ullman
Henry Louis ‘Hank’ Ullman died peacefully in the early morning hours of March 6, 2020, after a long decline in health. He was 87. Hank is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Lucille ‘Ceel’ Agee Ullman, and his children Carie Ullman Michael (David Michael) of Newton, MA, Mollie Ullman Cullere (Xavi Cullere) of Newton, MA, and Henry ‘Bear’ Ullman of Lexington, KY, and his grandchildren Andreu Cullere, Xavier Cullere, Madeleine Michael, Adrian Michael, Stella Ullman, and Leah Ullman.
Hank was born on October 25, 1933 in Minonk, Illinois. He was the oldest son of Henry and Jody Ullman, a coal miner and housekeeper, and brother to David. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1954 and served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea, and later in the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1961, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for Litton Industries as a technical writer. Hank met Ceel in a journalism class at UCLA, and within 3 weeks, they were engaged to be married.
In 1963, Hank and Ceel moved to Manoa Valley in Hawaii, Ceel’s hometown, and later to Aiea Heights, also on Oahu. During this time, Hank worked as Chief of the Public Affairs Office for the Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division. In 1973, Hank and Ceel left Honolulu and moved to Pukalani, Maui to raise their kids in a more rural environment. On Maui, Hank worked as an editor at The Maui News and a garden columnist, writing “Growing Your Own” every week for several years, a column based on his and Ceel’s experiences farming their own half-acre, with self-sufficiency in mind. Livestock on the small family farm included chickens, ducks,
geese, pigeons, rabbits, and dairy goats, as well as vegetable garden beds and tangerine, lemon, mulberry, avocado, lychee, papaya, and mango fruit trees.
Throughout their marriage, church and religion were the foundation of their day-to-day lives together. In 1984, after considerable planning, Hank and Ceel became Appointed Missionaries to the Episcopal Diocese of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, where they served as school teachers for 6 years. In 1989, they returned to live briefly in Honolulu, where Hank worked as a copy editor for The Honolulu Advertiser, before settling in Alum Bridge, West Virginia in 1992, on an 86-acre homestead they would go on to enjoy for 22 years.
In 2014, they left their ‘holler’ and moved to Buckhannon, WV to take advantage of the conveniences of town living. In Buckhannon, Hank volunteered as a literacy tutor, where he helped adults to learn to read.
In 2018, with growing health concerns, Hank and Ceel moved to a nursing facility in Newton, Massachusetts to be near their daughters. Hank’s family is especially grateful to the staff at Chetwynde Healthcare, the West Roxbury VA, and Good Shepherd Hospice for the compassionate, attentive care they provided over the last two years.
The memorial service schedule for Saturday, March 14th at Saint John’s Church Newtonville has been CANCELLED due to COVID-19 concerns.
If you would like to make a contribution in honor of Hank, please consider a donation to More Than Words at
Donate Now
Hank was born on October 25, 1933 in Minonk, Illinois. He was the oldest son of Henry and Jody Ullman, a coal miner and housekeeper, and brother to David. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1954 and served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Korea, and later in the U.S. Army Reserves. In 1961, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked for Litton Industries as a technical writer. Hank met Ceel in a journalism class at UCLA, and within 3 weeks, they were engaged to be married.
In 1963, Hank and Ceel moved to Manoa Valley in Hawaii, Ceel’s hometown, and later to Aiea Heights, also on Oahu. During this time, Hank worked as Chief of the Public Affairs Office for the Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division. In 1973, Hank and Ceel left Honolulu and moved to Pukalani, Maui to raise their kids in a more rural environment. On Maui, Hank worked as an editor at The Maui News and a garden columnist, writing “Growing Your Own” every week for several years, a column based on his and Ceel’s experiences farming their own half-acre, with self-sufficiency in mind. Livestock on the small family farm included chickens, ducks,
geese, pigeons, rabbits, and dairy goats, as well as vegetable garden beds and tangerine, lemon, mulberry, avocado, lychee, papaya, and mango fruit trees.
Throughout their marriage, church and religion were the foundation of their day-to-day lives together. In 1984, after considerable planning, Hank and Ceel became Appointed Missionaries to the Episcopal Diocese of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, where they served as school teachers for 6 years. In 1989, they returned to live briefly in Honolulu, where Hank worked as a copy editor for The Honolulu Advertiser, before settling in Alum Bridge, West Virginia in 1992, on an 86-acre homestead they would go on to enjoy for 22 years.
In 2014, they left their ‘holler’ and moved to Buckhannon, WV to take advantage of the conveniences of town living. In Buckhannon, Hank volunteered as a literacy tutor, where he helped adults to learn to read.
In 2018, with growing health concerns, Hank and Ceel moved to a nursing facility in Newton, Massachusetts to be near their daughters. Hank’s family is especially grateful to the staff at Chetwynde Healthcare, the West Roxbury VA, and Good Shepherd Hospice for the compassionate, attentive care they provided over the last two years.
The memorial service schedule for Saturday, March 14th at Saint John’s Church Newtonville has been CANCELLED due to COVID-19 concerns.
If you would like to make a contribution in honor of Hank, please consider a donation to More Than Words at
Donate Now