Dr. Jack Mullen

Jack Mullen. M.D., 91, of Bonne Terre passed away December 18, 2014 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico, MO. He was born April 19, 1923 in Las Animas, Colorado to the late Harvey and Mary Lucille (Jeffrey) Mullen. Also preceding him in death on Sept. 16, 2009, was his loving wife of 65 years, Edna (Roedel) Mullen, whom he married June 4, 1945. Jack is survived by three children, David (Renee) Mullen, Nancy (John) Ernst, and Kathy (Curt) Casteel; eleven grandchildren, Brant (Rebecca) Mullen, Rachel (Nathan) Tiemeyer, Lynn (Ryan) Harper, Angela (Ryan) Anderson, John (Sara) Ernst, Jr., Mitchell (Piper),Casteel, Emily (Phillip) Cook, Grant Casteel, Megan Mullen, Caitlyn (Randy ) Fields, and Lucas Mullen; eleven great-grandchildren, Jackson, Hannah, and Ben Tiemeyer, Gwen and Eve Casteel, Natalie and William Anderson, Lydia and Fletcher Ernst, and Cambry and Lydia Fields. His family brought him great joy. His wife, each child, grandchild, and great grandchild felt special and loved. He often wrote notes or emails to family members expressing his love and how proud he was of them. He attended Western State College, Gunnison, Colorado. During his freshman year when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he enlisted that day in the Army Air Corps. He became a pilot and served in the China-Burma-India Theater with the Combat Cargo Task Force. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medal with three campaign stars. He was nearly court-martialed for an unauthorized landing in a remote airfield to rescue a stranded Combat Cargo crew in China. This heroic landing and rescue ultimately resulted in him receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross. After discharge from the Army, he attended University of Missouri, Columbia where he received his B.S. degree. He earned his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine. In 1953, he moved to Bonne Terre, Mo where he practiced general medicine until July 1, 1986 when he retired. His entire career was spent on the staff of the Bonne Terre Hospital where he served 5 years as the Chief of Staff. He established the first outstate Missouri-dedicated cardiac intensive care unit in Bonne Terre Hospital. He also served on the Outstate Courtesy staff of St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, as well as an active member of the Missouri Pacific Hospital Association staff and a medical staff officer of the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company. He was a member of the Mineral Area Medical Society, where he served as secretary and later president for several years. He belonged to the Missouri Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He served five years as Trustee on the Board of the Missouri Heart Association. He was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Bonne Terre Hospital Association in 1969 where he served as Vice President and was a member of the Negotiating Committee for the Affiliations of Christian Hospital to form Christian Hospital - Bonne Terre, Inc. He continued on the Governing Board of Parkland Health Care affiliate of BCH, Inc. until he retired at age 70. He was the original incorporator and served as President of Bonne Terre Medical Associates, Inc. Dr. Mullen served on the Board of Trustees of the Bonne Terre School District for 6 years and served as President the last year on the board. He was active in the re-organization of the Bonne Terre and Desloge School Districts into the North St Francois County District R-1. He served as President of the new district for the first two years of its existence. He was elected to the Governing Board of the Commerce Bank in Bonne Terre and served on the board from 1971 until 1992. He was a member of the Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce and supported the Shephard House and the Heritage House. He contributed handmade furniture items for the auction at the Chamber's annual fund raising. He belonged to the Centenary Methodist Church in Bonne Terre. One of his great joys in life was belonging to the Bonne Terre Rotary Club which he joined in 1955 and subsequently served as President from 1958-1959. During his Presidency the club initiated the Honor Top 10% Award dinner and celebration. He was a Paul Harris fellow of the Rotary Foundation. He served as Governor of Rotary District 6090 in 1990 and served the International Organization on the Council on Legislation at Anaheim, CA and Caracas, Venezuela. He continued to remain active in Rotary until the age of 86. He never missed an opportunity to be a song leader at a Rotary meeting and his enthusiasm was infectious. He and Edna traveled to many Rotary functions throughout the world and enjoyed friendships with fellow Rotarian their entire lives. Visitation will be Sunday, December 21, 2014 from 11:00 am until the time of service at 2:00 PM at the C. Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home in Bonne Terre. Interment will follow at Bonne Terre Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Rotary International Scholarship Fund, the American Heart Association, or the charity of your choice. View obituary and share condolences online at www.www.czboyer.com