Obituary of Kathleen Mullen

Kathleen Theresa (Gurdo) Mullen, age 90, passed away peacefully in her Exton, Pennsylvania home on the morning of Saturday, June 27. In her final days, she was surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren whom she loved dearly. Kathleen was born on November 9, 1929 in Utica, New York to the late Sabatino “Sam” Gurdo and Elvira Aurelia (Scotese) Gurdo. She was the second of two children, attending Utica College and the Excelsior School of Business. Before she began a family, she was employed by the General Electric Company as a private secretary. She later worked as an executive secretary at Roy F. Weston environmental engineering firm in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Her most important work, however, was that of a devoted wife and loving mother. She particularly excelled as an after-school pizza chef and short-order waffle cook for family reunions at the beach. She met Tom Mullen, of Whitesboro, New York, in 1952, while he was on furlough from the Navy. They married on January 16, 1960 and went on to have six children, 15 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Tom and Kay were — and, in memory, are — the anchor of a large and loving extended family. Wherever they were was home. Her beautiful smile and musical laughter will always be treasured. Laughter came easily to Kathleen, often fluttering into coloratura-like runs. Always in the kitchen, Kathleen was an incredible cook. No sooner would she finish one delicious meal before planning the next. She had a deep appreciation for music, especially classical, opera, and Broadway show tunes. She had a beautiful voice and was often heard singing in the kitchen. Kathleen was a true wit and an amateur author — writing beautiful poems and short stories for her grandchildren. But her greatest gift was her faith, which she passed on to her children. She was a lifelong Roman Catholic with a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, passed on to her from her Italian immigrant mother and father who were in their formative youth at the time of the Fatima apparitions. As a young adult, Kathleen was an active member of the Legion of Mary. She raised her children at St. Patrick’s Parish in Malvern Pa and in her retired years she was a parishioner of Sts. Philip and James in Exton Pa. Kathleen was predeceased by her husband Thomas S. Mullen, Sr., her son Thomas S. Mullen, Jr., and her brother Anthony F. Gurdo. She is survived by her children Marie Sunnergren Cucchi (Tony), Christopher, John (Denise), Scott, and Gary (Amanda); sister-in-law Dolores Gurdo of Clinton, NY; sisters-in-law Jane Costanzo, Karen Kienle-Harries, and Cindy Day originally from Whitesboro, NY; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins (D’Amelio, Scotese, Gurdo, Mullen) from the Utica area; her grandchildren Tom (Eilis), Marian, Emilie (Alex), Anna (Eric), Mikey, Teresa, Natalie, Amanda, Tommy, Annabelle, Ty, Luke, Aidan, Madeline, and Evie; and her great-grandchildren Max, Teddy, and Will. A viewing will be held on Monday, July 6 from 9-11 a.m. at Owens-Pavlot Rogers Funeral Service, 35 College Street, Clinton. A private interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Utica. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to EWTN Global Catholic Network at https://sd.ewtn.com/fye-2020-2/.