James Mullen

1952 - 2013

James Mullen
May 18, 1952 - January 8, 2013
Resident of Santa Cruz
Jim Mullen, father, son, brother, friend, and teacher, died at Dominican Hospital on Jan. 8 after a brief illness. Jim was born sixty years ago in New York City and then moved with his family as a teenager to Los Angeles. As a young boy, he was instructed to " take care of your younger sister!" That began a theme in his life of wanting to help and protect others. He developed this skill further in college, as the director of a 24-hour telephone crisis center. Jim prided himself on being the giver of sage advice to everyone in his circle of family and friends. When he moved to Santa Cruz in the eighties, he began a graphic design business called "The Type Factory", where he was known as someone who cared not only about doing the best, most professional job he could for his clients, but also as someone who would offer personal support and friendship. Jim was most proud of his son Taylor who inherited his dad's natural ability with a computer, and has now grown to be a young man Microsoft couldn't wait to hire as soon as he graduated from college. Jim was also proud of his role as a teacher of Tai Chi here in Santa Cruz at the Academy of Martial Arts. He developed his martial arts skills starting in his early twenties, having been influenced by Bruce Lee who was a neighbor in Los Angeles. Jim would catch glimpses of him training intensely in his backyard, and then he carried that same passion when he became a teacher himself. Jim will be remembered as someone who always did the very best job he could and as someone you could call on, with a problem day or night. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, January 27 1-4 at The Lodge 552 Bean Creek Rd Scotts Valley, For details, call (831) 239-9406. In lieu of flowers, contributions are encouraged to another organization that was close to Jim's heart; The Dance of the Deer Foundation.