Lee Mueller

1931 - 2025

Lee Mueller
04/02/1931 - 11/20/2025
Lee Edward Mueller, holding the hand of his son, Larry, died peacefully at 1:00 p.m. on 20 November 2025. He had become completely infirmed and of strained voice only in the last two weeks. His brother, Jim and niece, Vicki had visited with him at home the last week of October. Lee had remained in the home he and his wife, Ann, built and moved into in 1994.

Since August of 2024, he enjoyed having a group of caregivers: Elizabeth, Angela, Sophia, and Zara at the house for cooking, cleaning, companionship and as chauffeurs for medical appointments and to pick-up/deliver his son at the airport.

Lee's greatest delight in these later years had been the close friendships he developed with neighbors Syble & Mitch, Linda & Craig, Deborah, Georgia, Nicole & Ben, Monique & Nelson, Dana, and Mercedes. They each loved him and visited him frequently as well as enjoying annual dinner parties at Christmas, and celebrations of his birthday at the house.

Following retirement from Texaco in 1994 and prior to COVID, Lee enjoyed extensive international exploration travel with his wife Ann and later his son Larry. He also served more than 25 years as a Volunteer at Texas Children's Hospital, serving one term as Texas Children's Auxiliary President. For his outstanding service in the community, the City of Houston named him a Volunteer of the Year in 2011.

Lee joined Texaco in 1955 in the Port Arthur Refining Works in Texas during his completion of a master's in civil engineering and newly created environmental engineering at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It was at WASU that he met Muriel Ann Shidell, and they would marry in 1956 having each just finished a master's degree. They began home life in Port Arthur, Texas where Lee began as Design Engineer for Air and Water effluence at his home plant and all other Texaco Refinery operations throughout the U.S. In 1970, they moved to Houston, and he retired after 40 years as Texaco Inc.'s Manager of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs and Safety for U.S. Public and Government Affairs.

In 1970 Lee and his wife Ann became members, for the rest of their lives, of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, where they each had years of individual opportunities of service as well eagerly attending all couple classes and activities.

Prior to life in Texas, Lee served in the U.S. Army as an enlisted man from 1953-1955 during the Korean War. He graduated from Colorado University in Boulder with a bachelor's in civil engineering in 1953 having been raised in Eaton, Colorado, born in Syracuse, Nebraska.

Lee loved the Lord all his days and was an exemplar for the quiet strength, gentle wisdom, and the meekness called for by Christ. His spirit is delighted to be liberated to be with God and freed from the infirmities that had grown slowly following the COVID year. Direct your prayers towards his extended family that survives him: son Larry, brother Jim, Mueller nephews-great nieces-great nephews: Rusty- Bailey and Connelly, Bryan & Georgia- Alex and Stefan, Scott & Ami; Shidell nieces-great nieces: Victoria- Gina, Kim- Genevieve.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in Houston later in the New Year.
Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery with his wife Ann.