Thomas William Mullen

1942 - 2021

Thomas William Mullen

Brandon - Thomas William Mullen, 78, of Brandon, died Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson after a long battle with cancer.

A private funeral Mass for immediate family will be held Friday, Feb. 12, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood, followed by interment with military honors at Lakewood Memorial Park in Clinton. Lakewood Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

He was born Oct. 30, 1942, in Peoria, Illinois, to the late John Francis and Kathryn Ellen Mullen. He grew up in Palatine and later Barrington, Illinois, near Chicago. He attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated in 1964 from Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota.

After college he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Conflict, rising to the rank of lieutenant. He served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard operating in the South China Sea, and later at Concord Naval Weapons Station in California.

It was at Concord that he met his wife of 44 years, Carol Ann Richter Mullen, who preceded him in death in 2012. After marrying in 1968 and leaving the Navy, the couple settled in the San Francisco Bay area and had three sons.

He was a lifelong banker. After several years at Merrill Lynch in San Francisco, in 1975 he joined the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency as a National Bank Examiner. In 1977 he was named the regional examiner in charge of Mississippi and Louisiana, and the family moved to Clinton, Mississippi.

In 1983 he joined Trustmark National Bank, rising to executive vice president before retiring in 2003. Upon retirement, he and Carol moved to a home on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Brandon. He served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Yazoo until his death.

He was a longtime parishioner of Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton and St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood. He enjoyed traveling, and visited all 50 states and more than 20 countries. He was a die-hard Chicago Cubs baseball fan, and in retirement delighted in playing bridge with friends, spending time at family gatherings with his seven grandchildren, and watching glorious sunsets over the Reservoir from his backyard deck, glass of wine in hand.

He is survived by his sons, John Patrick (Dena) Mullen of Memphis, Tennessee, Steven Thomas (Lee) Mullen of Oxford, Mississippi, and Geoffrey Christopher (Kristen) Mullen of Jackson; his brother, Michael James Mullen of Brandon; and seven grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Paul Early Learning Center, 5969 Highway 25, Flowood, MS 39232.