Obituary of Thomas S. Mullen

Thomas Sylvester Mullen, Sr., age 83, died peacefully in his Exton, PA home on the morning of December 24, 2014. He was surrounded by a large family that he loved. Tom was born March 23, 1931, in Utica, New York, to the late Patrick and Annie (Clermont) Mullen. He was the third of eight children. Tom was a talented student. He graduated from Whitesboro Central School in 1949 and was awarded a New York State Regents Scholarship to attend Hamilton College. Tom left school to serve as corpsman in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy, Tom returned to Hamilton, where he worked for the President of the College, graduating in 1957 with a BA in Chemistry. Tom was assiduously curious—a lifelong learner—and his professional life reflected this passion. After finishing his schooling, he managed a medical research laboratory in Buffalo, New York, before moving his family to the Philadelphia area in 1970. There, he worked as a computer programmer for Wyeth Laboratories (1970-1980), Blue Cross in Philadelphia (1980-85), and GE Aerospace in King of Prussia (1985-1992). In 1992, Tom moved to Haymarket, Virginia, to take a position as a project leader with Lockheed Martin. Tom retired from Lockheed in 2004 and returned with his wife to the Delaware Valley to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Tom had a remarkable medical history, which was a point of great pride. In 1969, he had the first of two heart attacks. His physicians advised him to, "Go home, hug his family and get his affairs in order." However, in May of 1972, he traveled to St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to undergo a novel and risky quadruple bypass graft. The surgery was a success due in no small part to the skill of the pioneering surgical team and the life-sustaining assistance of the very same heart-lung machine that Tom helped to develop just several years earlier. Tom met and fell in love with Kathleen Gurdo in 1952, while on furlough from the Navy. They married in 1960. The happy union produced six children and 15 grandchildren. Tom's entire life was oriented around his family, whom he loved dearly. Tom was a great reader and raconteur. He was a devout Roman Catholic who took tremendous interest in the Church, politics, and Philadelphia's professional sports teams. He was a longtime parishioner of St. Patrick Church in Malvern and later SS Philip and James Church in Exton. Each summer, he presided over a family reunion that took place at various locations at the South Jersey shore. He fished the Atlantic, hunted for treasure, and told stories. Tom was predeceased by his brother Patrick, his sisters Shirley Kloczkowski and Theresa Moorehead, and his parents Patrick and Annie. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, his children Marie Sunnergren, Tom, Chris, John, Scott, and Gary; his siblings Bobby, Jane Costanzo (Bob), Karen Kienle-Harries, and Cindy Day; numerous nieces and nephews; and enough grandchildren to fill a basketball roster: Tom, Marian, Emilie, Anna, Mikey, Teresa, Natalie, Amanda, Tommy, Annabelle, Ty, Luke, Aidan, Madeline, and Evie. Thomas Sylvester Mullen, Sr., is loved and missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to spend time in his enormous presence and hear his stories. He was a giant of a man, and he'll never be forgotten. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Noon on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at the Hamilton College Chapel. A public calling hour will be held from 10am – 11am at Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service, Inc., 35 College St., Clinton, prior to the service. Please visit www.papamullen.com.