Liz and Patrick Culhane recently built their second home in Viera after finding a friendliness here that they were used to in the Midwest.
Originally from Ohio, the couple met at the University of Toledo when they were 19 years old. Liz was obtaining her undergraduate degree in psychology and Patrick, his degree in finance.
After graduation, Liz was drawn to Florida Tech to continue her studies in industrial and organizational psychology. Patrick supported her decision and the two moved to Brevard County in 2006. They fell in love with the area.
Liz’s family eventually followed. Her parents now also live in Viera, her grandparents in Baytree, and her sister and brother-in-law, in South Florida.
The couple were married in 2010, Liz graduated in 2011, and the Culhanes then started a family. They have three children: daughter Madelyn, 9, son, Colin, 6, and son Preston, 3.
They first lived on Merritt Island to be closer to the ocean. They owned and ran Bruno’s Pizza there from 2009 to 2012. When Love Bugs bakery came up for sale in 2015, they owned and operated it for the next two years.
After their daughter was born, they moved from the island to the mainland, choosing Viera for their new home. They moved to the Capron Ridge neighborhood in 2014, then built two homes with Viera Builders, first in Kerrington in 2017, and in Stonecrest in 2021.
“We never understood Viera until our daughter was born,” Patrick Culhane said. “The schools are what initially attracted us. We are used to the friendliness of the Midwest and that’s what we found here.”
“There is a sense of community here in Viera,” said Liz Culhane.
Patrick Culhane is a wealth manager for Truist Bank and has worked in the financial industry for nearly a decade.
Liz Culhane works as a senior people scientist for Culture Amp. She also teaches online for Florida Tech, Bellevue University and Maryville University.
“We’ve gotten used to the busyness and enjoy it. And that’s what we love about this area,” Liz Culhane said. “It is the perfect place for us to raise kids. We take out our golf cart, the kids are in sports year-round, we spend a lot of our weekends socializing, and we like to explore the things happening here.”
“We love the area and love staying west of I-95,” Patrick Culhane said. “There always seem to be people outside.”
