Aaron Bruce Culp

Aaron Bruce Culp, 73, passed away peacefully August 27, 2023. He was born in Nevada City, CA June 5, 1950, son of JB and Dorothy K. Culp, where his dad was a hard rock miner. He attended schools in Sacramento, where he played football. He played baseball with his dad.

Bruce moved to Twin Falls, ID with his mother and stepfather, Edward Sandlin, in 1967. They owned a beloved cabin in Jarbidge, NV where many days were spent bow hunting and exploring. Bruce worked at the family business, Me-n-Ed’s Pizza Parlor and graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1968. He attended the College of Southern Idaho and graduated from Boise State University with a BS in Biology in 1974, then earned an MS in Hazardous Waste Management and Biology from Idaho State University in 1995. Bruce joined the U.S. Airforce in 1972, serving as a staff sergeant in the Air National Guard until 1978. Bruce started his career briefly as a fisheries biologist before becoming the owner and president of Me-n-Ed’s, running several restaurants in Idaho and Montana until 1991. Shifting careers, Bruce worked for environmental consulting groups prior to starting his own firm, PS2 Associates, supporting environmental remediation projects and programs at the Idaho National Laboratory as a senior consulting scientist until retiring in 2019.

He married the love of his life, Marilyn McKim, on June 2, 1973. They moved to Idaho Falls in 1976 and enjoyed 50 wonderful years together, camping, exploring and raising four children. Bruce always had a full slate of hobbies and projects, including woodworking, landscaping, raising a few cows and a menagerie of other animals and traipsing through the great outdoors birding and on family “bentures.” Weekends were spent tinkering with his John Deere tractor, fixing irrigation and organizing his shop with golf or football on the TV. He taught his kids how to backpack, whittle and toast perfect marshmallows on the campfire. He was a life-long learner and enjoyed traveling to many countries abroad with his wife and friends. He enjoyed a Michelin starred restaurant just as much as he relished sitting amongst the trees on his property enjoying a good bottle of wine with family while watching for hawks and owls.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn, daughter Sara J. Culp (husband Kevin Langstaff) of Oregon, son Jeffery B. Culp of California, daughter Jennifer B. Culp of Oregon, daughter Annie K. Culp of Idaho, brother Dennis Culp (wife Mary Lynn) of Idaho, and grandson Connor of Oregon. He is preceded in death by his parents JB and Margaret Culp, and Edward and (Dorothy) Kae Sandlin. No services are planned; a celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made to Champ’s Heart (www.champsheart.org).