Valhalla Visions Counselling Clinic

David was born in St. Stephen, New Brunswick and was placed in an orphanage with his sister around the age of three. She was eventually taken back by their mother, but he was adopted by Arthur and Louise Culley. The couple stepped in to help those living in foster care for several years and with this exposure he seasoned his abilities making those coming from a wide range of family situations feel loved and accepted.  

He served with the Saint John Police Force for 34 years (retired in 2005). His loving wife, Leta, of over four decades worked as a nurse in Obstetrics and Neonatal at two hospitals in the city. After he retired, he enjoyed hunting and fishing, woodworking by building sleds, crafting cradles for his grandchildren, refurbishing doll houses and making charcuterie boards. He could be found at the Loch Lomond Road Tim Hortons several times a day after his routine 5am swim at the Aquatic Centre. David enjoyed his house and landscape he built in the late 1980s alongside his family with his two daughters and considered it his sanctuary.  

David was well known for his hobby farm that started by rehoming doves in the Lakewood subdivision of Saint John. Anyone who visited the property over the years also enjoyed the company of their rabbits, horses, goats, chickens, geese and ducks. During the 1990s, it was not uncommon for him to load up the open box of his truck with youth and small animals to go through the drive-thru at Tim Hortons. He also loved to drive his tractor with his homemade wagon to pick up the neighborhood children for hayrides.  

First Responders experience stressful encounters and David was a great representation of “stand-up” work who no doubt carried the weight of challenging situations over the course of his career. He loved people yet his personality held a composition that could calm and regulate others which earned him respect for how he could talk to people. David was unfortunately diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer in July of 2016 and was given six months to live. However, he passed away in his home with his wife by his side two years later. Valhalla Visions Counselling Clinic aspires to carry on his legacy.