John R. Mullen

Mullen, John R. of Quincy, formerly of Dorchester, died on Wednesday, July 21, 2010. Beloved husband of Katherine E. (Bischoff) Mullen of Quincy. Loving father of Thomas R. Mullen and his wife Rosalind of Cambridge, William J. Mullen and his wife Hong of Quincy, Loretta DeBettencourt and her husband Theodore of Oak Bluffs, Jerry Mullen and his wife Susan of Quincy, Frank Mullen and his wife Barbara of Hanover, and Joseph D. Mullen and his wife Maryanne of Quincy. Also survived by 14 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Mullen was born and raised in the Neponset section of Boston and lived his adult life in Quincy. The oldest of four children he was a decorated US Navy Veteran of World War II. He graduated from Boston English High School in 1939, Boston College in 1950 and received a Masters Degree from Boston State Teachers College. He was employed by the City of Boston School Department for 35 years as a history teacher, a Vice-Principal and an acting Principal. In retirement he taught labor history to countless young men apprenticing to be Union Ironworkers in Boston’s Local # 7. Like most veterans, he spoke very little of his war time experiences. Asked by one of his grandchildren about the war he said, he had done his duty to help save his ship and his friends but there were many men who did much more than he and never made it home. He survived the sinking of his 1st ship the USS Edward Rutledge off North Africa. Returning home, he was assigned to the Shipyard in Quincy to assist in the construction of a new aircraft carrier, the USS Wasp CV-18. He served aboard the Wasp from the day she was commissioned until the end of the war. For this, he could call himself a “plank owner” of the Wasp, a term he was proud of his entire adult life. In March 1945 the Wasp was severely damaged by enemy aircraft. During the confusion and inferno that followed Mr. Mullen led a fire rescue crew deep below decks in a desperate but successful attempt to extinguish the flames and rescue trapped shipmates. For his actions on that day he was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest award in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was an avid skier into his 80s. He learned to ski, and taught a number of his children to ski as well, at “Heavenly Hill”, the former tow-roped ski slope at Furnace Brook Golf Course near his long time home in the Wollaston Hill section of Quincy. He was a long time member of the John P. McKeon Amvets Post and enjoyed puttering around his home constantly repairing or re-painting and re-painting household items, tending his tomato garden and enjoying the summers at his cottage in Ocean Bluff, Marshfield. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours Sunday, July 25, 2010 from 2-6 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock Street, QUINCY. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:15 AM on Monday, July 26, 2010 prior to the Funeral Mass in Saint Ann’s Church at 10 AM. Burial in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Quincy. Donations in memory of John may be made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701.