Billy M. Culbertson, Ph. D., Professor emeritus of biomaterials and materials science at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio died on Friday, March 20, 2026, at the age of 96.

He is survived by his loving wife Catherine Laura Koenig Culbertson, whom he married on July 23, 1949, in Muscatine, Iowa. He is also survived by two children, Brian Mitchel Culbertson (Columbus, OH) and Jeffrey Daniel Culbertson (Joplin, MO). Also, he is survived by five grandchildren, Jason Herning, Aaron Herning, Adam Herning, Anders J. Culbertson and Britta Mae Culbertson, as well as two great grandchildren, i.e., Mark Herning and Nichole Herning.

He was born in Central City, KY, (August 23, 1929). The Culbertson family moved to Chicago in the early 1940's. After serving in the Air Force during the Korean War, he enrolled in college using the GI Bill, earning a BA degree (1959) in chemistry and physics from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. Then, he went on to earn MS (1962) and Ph.D. (1963) degrees in Chemistry and Physics from the University of Iowa.

Leaving the Univ. of Iowa in the winter of 1962, after finishing his dissertation research for the Ph.D., he took a research chemist position at the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Chemical Company, in Minneapolis, MN. At ADM, he became part of a new research thrust directed toward synthesis of new polymers and organic chemicals. The new ADM research laboratory was located in Richfield, MN. The work at ADM resulted in a good number of publications and several patents. In 1967 ADM Chemicals was acquired by Ashland Oil, forming Ashland Chemical Co. Ashland Chemical subsequently built a new chemical laboratory in 1971 in Dublin, OH, with Dr. Culbertson moving to that location. As a Sr. Research Associate at Ashland Chemical Co., working in collaboration with other chemists, he authored a large number of scientific publications and patents, along with several (4) books. Taking early retirement from Ashland Chemical, he joined The Ohio State University faculty as a tenured, full professor in the College of Dentistry in 1989. He collaborated with faculty in the College of Dentistry, Chemistry, Pharmacy and the Medical School on a number of NIH and other industrial grants. He and the MS and Ph. D. Degree students he mentored, as well as his post-doctoral associates, authored a large number (<200) of scientific publications as well as (<50) patents. He traveled and lectured on his research efforts in many places (<25 countries), involving many universities and industries. He received a good number of awards, i.e., Columbus Section ACS, Polymer Division of ACS Fellow, ACS Industrial Polymer Scientist Award, etc. with the most recent being named a Fellow of The American Chemical Society. A testimony to his success resides in the many students and post-doctoral fellows he has mentored doing outstanding work in government and industrial positions. Truly, Emeritus Prof. Bill M. Culbertson has demonstrated outstanding leadership, teaching research, etc. with all due to his excellent preparation as a scientist at Univ. of Iowa.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Oak Ridge Funeral Care. He will be buried in Rolling Hills Cemetery in Winter Haven, FL.  Graveside Services will be held at 2:00pm, Thursday. March 26, 2026, at Rolling Hills Cemetery.