Joe Culmer, was more than a friend, and mentor. He truly cared for Tony, Tyrone, and myself. Joe would introduce us to the pigeon munglers when he took us down over to Tooties Pet Shop on Flushing Ave in Brooklyn. We were mainly interested in the Flying Flights, but Joe would impart to us information concerning the show flights. Joe taught us about the confirmation of the bird, but all we wanted to know was could the bird go up into the Pen, roll out, and come back. We all had different personalities, but Joe knew how to keep us interested in whatever he was telling us. Joe really worked well with his hands. I wasn't that interested in working with tools and other equipment until I met him. Tyrone certainly picked up alot from him, and Ty is now a master Carpenter. I think Joe was really proud of Tony. I think he saw the potential in him when others didn't, and Tony has certainly proved him right. Many a time he would talk to us individually on different issues, always telling us the real deal, and not just to what we

  
wanted hear. Though he had a wife Evelyn, and two daughters Deborah and Dawn that took up the majority of his time, Joe still found time for Tony; Tyrone, and myself. I use to envy Deb and Dawn for having such a great father, I loved being around him all the time. All he ever asked from us was to do the best we could. He had confidence that we could master anything. Joe was more than a father figure to us, he was our friend. We all love Joe and miss him.
             

I met Joe when I was around 13 years old; I lived on Sumpter Street around the corner from him on Marion St in Brooklyn, NY. As a kid I would see his birds flying in the evening and I would sit across the street from his house and wait for him to fly his birds. I knew what time he let his birds out during the week and would be there on time when he let them out. I know I must have stood out, because I was the only one sitting on the curb looking up in the sky at a bunch of birds flying around. After a week of this as I was looking at the sky he walked over to me and asked what I was looking at, I told him that I was watching the man fly his birds. He said to me "Are you going to Tap Him Off". I must have given him a funny look (I didn't have a clue of what he was talking about) because he started laughing, and told me they were his birds, and would I like to come up on the roof to see them. I went up on the roof, and my fascination with pigeons was over, I was now HOOKED.

Joe gave me my first birds, he asked me one Saturday if I would clean his coop for him. I said sure, I would do anything to be around those birds. I loved feeding them, changing the water, putting them up. So why not clean up after them. When I was finished, Joe did an inspection, told me I had done a great job, and he pulled out a box, and started to put young birds in the box. Joe gave me 15 young flights. I was speechless, I didn't even have a coop at home, but that was soon to change. I built one out of milk crates, and any pieces of lumber, and plywood I could find. I put those birds in the coop, impatiently waited, just sitting all day looking at those birds from morning til nigh.t Then after a week of this, I let them out. Three went back because like most novices, I chased those young birds too much... But Joe would eventually teach me how to handle myself around the birds. Four years later, I joined the Navy, made it my career, stayed away from Brooklyn for over 30 years, but NEVER, lost my love of flying pigeons. Now I would rather be on the roof than anywhere in the world, and believe me. I have been to a lot of places.