Dana Bruce Cullen Sr. was born on Oct. 12, 1955, in Boston, born to Kathryn and C. Paige Cullen of Swampscott, Mass., where he was raised. He graduated from Swampscott High School in 1974. He was a forever proud Big Blue alumnus.
Dana had visited the Ossipee area most of his life. He spent many summers at Terrace Pines Campground. Even back then he was well known for his constant smile and quick wit
Eventually in 1978 he moved permanently to Ossipee, N.H. This is where he met the love of his life, Belinda, and in 1983, they married.
Dana was immensely proud of his service to the community. Starting in the late 1970s he followed his father into the fire service with the Swampscott Auxiliary FD. He continued his fire service career when he made N.H. his permanent home working for the Effingham Fire Department and later the Center Ossipee Fire Department, where he spent nearly 40 years, before retiring as a Deputy Chief. He was well-known in the fire department as the ultimate jokester. Dana worked for too many fire service agencies over the years to list.
He will always be remembered for his love of hockey and football, preferring the Philadelphia Eagles and Flyers. He was well known for his famous chop suey.
Dana also worked for 37 years as a corrections officer, working for Strafford and Carroll counties, reaching the rank of lieutenant before retiring in 2014. Dana was also a third-generation, third-degree Mason.
He will be sorely missed at the toll booth at White Lake State Park, where he worked for nearly 20 years, letting in every firefighter he saw for free and bartering for fire department T-shirts and patches.
One of his favorite times was spending summers driving around with his son issuing fire permits during his nearly three decades as a forest fire warden for the towns of Ossipee and Tuftonboro.
He was predeceased by his wife, Belinda Cullen, and many family members. He is survived by his son Dana Cullen Jr., and his wife Jessica Cullen of Tamworth, N.H., and sister Kathryn Thibodeau and husband Scott of Swampscott, Mass., and many nieces and nephews.
At the wishes of Dana, there will be no funeral. Calling hours will be held at Lord Funeral Home, 50 Moultonville Road, Center Ossipee, N.H., on March 27, 2025, from 4-7 p.m. A Firematic detail will take place at 3:30 p.m. Class A dress and no mourning band are the uniform of the day.
In lieu of flowers, donations can made to the Center Ossipee or Effingham Fire Departments.
