A Tribute to C. David Kulman
This past month, C. David Kulman, who has been a contributing writer for the Presidio Sentinel, passed away from congestive heart failure. Kulman was an amazing man who had a passion for Hollywood, celebrities, trivia, food, theatre, entertainers, cats and friendships.
Kulman was an only child raised by two doting parents in Brooklyn. After high school he attended business college. By 19 he was employed as a secretary taking shorthand for the Office of Price Administration (OPA). On a Saturday in 1945, while working for the OPA at the Empire State Building, a B-25 bomber crashed into the building. Kulman was unscathed, however there were fatalities. He was drafted into the Army near the end of World War II. According to friends, he earned the rank of sergeant in less than a year and served stateside.
After he was discharged, Kulman went to Parsons School of Design on the GI Bill. Upon graduation he obtained a job designing nurses’ uniforms. It’s stated that he quit the position due to lack of interest in the product line. Eventually he moved to San Francisco where he worked for the City. It was during his time in San Francisco that he got the idea to start the first gay matchmaking service in the USA.
He patented the name “David the Matchmater.” He interviewed thousands of men after founding his gay-mating service in 1974.
C. David Kulman had a passion for life.
Eschewing computers, videotapes and the other high-tech tools of space-age matchmaking, Kulman worked out of his antique-filled apartment, using a card file containing handwritten profiles of his clients and his own intuition to find likely pairs. His legend started with an interview on Phil Donohue show, plus a few write-ups in Herb Cain’s column. After several years in San Francisco, he moved his business to Los Angeles, and then to San Diego, where he finally retired.
His last years were spent writing short columns for Buzz, and the Presidio Sentinel. His friends often communicated that his life should have been a sitcom, and he should be the lead character.
Anyone who knew David realized that he left a lasting impression. He made a difference in the lives of many, including several of his former clients, who kept in touch right up to the end.
Category: Local News
