Rex Raymond Mull

1926 - 2010

Rex Raymond Mull 1926 - 2010 Rex Raymond Mull was born June 19, 1926, in Bakersfield, California. As a young boy, he played barefoot among the oil derricks on Wheeler Ridge with his older brother, Ted. Rex's dad Jim moved the family to Bakersfield when they were young, but then when Rex was ten his mom Ida died in childbirth. Rex was a disciplined and successful student. However, he had a stutter. To overcome that obstacle, his dad encouraged him to seek out public speaking opportunities, and as a result Rex participated in drama, debate, and later, even announced professional wrestling at Bakersfield's Strong Stadium. He overcame his stutter. As a young man, Rex became a gymnast, was always working a part-time job, frequently found and adopted stray animals, and enjoyed his friends, Harold Walker, LeRoy Wiggington and Johnny White. When Rex was a teenager, his dad re-married Rosebud, his new mom from North Carolina. As a teenager Rex excelled in school. At graduation from Bakersfield High School in 1943, he was ranked ninth in the state of California. Rex entered the Navy during WWII and became a radioman (1944), achieving the top average since his school's commissioning. After the war, he graduated from Bakersfield Junior College ('48, with Honors) and the College of the Pacific ('50, with Highest Honors), and led his debate team to national status. After COP, Rex graduated from Stanford Law School ('53), where he edited the Law Review. Following graduation, Rex worked briefly for Pacific Telephone in San Francisco, and then returned to Bakersfield. Here, he continued his legal career with the county council's office, and then in private practice. For many years Rex was the city attorney for Taft and Ridgecrest, and was also council for the Kern County Water Agency. Along with Mel Davis, Dexter Haymond, and John Rathjen, Rex founded Melex, Inc., which successfully developed, owned and operated an assisted living retirement facility in Bakersfield. After returning to Bakersfield as a young man, Rex met and married Nancy, his wife of 50 years. Together they raised three children: Steve, Ginny and Susan. Rex was an anchor of his local extended family, which included Ted and Eva Mull, Eldon and Lobenia Geisert, and Margaret and Ken Hench. He was a long time member and supporter of First United Methodist Church. Returning home from work late one night in 1982, Rex was hit by a drunk driver, and suffered a significant head injury. That experience helped Rex let go of his law practice, and focus instead on his family, his exercise, and spending time at a small family cabin in Camp Nelson, CA, among the much loved mountain pines, with family friends, Doyle and Eleanor Krause. In October 2010, Rex was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He died November 11, 2010, while undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Mercy Hospital. Mr. Mull's family especially appreciates the compassion, excellent care, and sensitivity of the nurses and helpers of 2-West, Mercy Hospital on Truxtun, and of the nurses in the ICU at Mercy. Survivors include his wife, Nancy; children, Steve Mull, Ginny Womack, and Susan Mull; grandchildren, Katie and Jake Womack; nieces, Teri Gallardo and Sandi Steenberg; and cousin, Eldon Geisert Jr. Graveside services will be held on Saturday, November 20, at 2:00 p.m. at Greenlawn Cemetery, 3700 River Blvd. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Heifer Project International at 1-800-422-0474 or www.heifer.org. www.bakersfield.com/obits