STANFORD NATHANIEL MULLEN

Stanford Nathaniel Mullen passed away on Friday, September 27, 2013, in Reedley. Stan was born on June 11, 1932, in Sallisaw, Ok. He was the youngest of six children of William Manual Mullen and Lula Essie Cleland Mullen. His family moved to California within a year of his birth, eventually settling in Parlier, Ca. In his youth he was a good student and demonstrated strong talents in drama, art, and music, which he enjoyed all his life. Shortly after his 1950 graduation from Parlier High School he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, later serving in the Korean War and as a Drill Instructor. Following his discharge in 1954, he attended California State University, Fresno, earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Arts in 1958. While attending, he supported his family as a gas station mechanic, carpenter, and radio broadcaster. From 1958 to 1965, Stan was a radio host and news announcer for Fresno radio stations KBIF, KMAK, KMJ, KFRE, and KEAP. Toward the end of this time he completed his Master of Arts Degree in Education and in 1965, began his 30 year career as a Speech Therapist for the Kings Canyon Unified School District. Some in the area still remember the old school bus he drove around that had been converted to a small classroom for serving the mountain and country schools. Following his retirement, Stan became an avid painter and kept up a daily regimen of practice on his euphonium. In addition to the arts, Stan enjoyed gardening, fishing, and reading. He carefully tended his roses, vegetable garden and fruit trees, which produced large, beautiful, and delicious crops. He also enjoyed making his own fishing rods, flies, and lures, often fishing two or three times per week in the lakes and streams of Fresno, Madera, and Mariposa counties. His reading habits were primarily educational and non-fiction, though he also enjoyed poetry and singing irreverent songs. He subscribed to several scientific and nature oriented magazines and was a consistent contributor to causes in support of cancer research, children, and responsible management of the earth. His religious beliefs were minimal, tending toward humanism, yet even this was often too philosophical for him. He was honest, forthright, conscientious, trustworthy, dependable, a hard worker, and true to his family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. He believed in the importance of active personal commitment to maintaining our society through both public and private means. He harbored little resentment about paying taxes, often choosing to ignore legal deductions when he didn't feel they were ethical. He always voted, and contributed regularly to many environmental and humanitarian organizations. Stan is survived by his children and grandchildren from his first marriage to Marilyn Diane Reinert, Patrick Mullen of Long Beach, Ca. and his children, Loren and Colin, Colleen Peevy of Alameda, Ca., and her children, Cora, Gere and Susan, and Michael Mullen of San Ramon, Ca., and his daughter Kacey. He is remembered with love by the children of his second wife Grace Saenz, who preceded him in death, Severiano Saenz Jr. of Sacramento, Ca., Hector Saenz of Grover Beach, Ca., Lupe McElroy of Tampa, Fl., Armando Saenz of Folsom, Ca., Eddie Saenz of Clovis, Ca., Pablo Saenz of Fresno, Ca., Victor Saenz of Reedley, Ca., and Ana Harrison of Cape Coral, Fl. A Celebration of his Life will be held at Reedley Community Center, 100 N. East Avenue, Reedley, Ca. on Saturday, November 2, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Remembrances may be made to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, Va. 22203-1606; or Sierra View Homes Retirement Community, 1155 E. Springfield Avenue Reedley, Ca. 93654.