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James Mullen Obituary
James G. Mullen, 83, of Lafayette, passed away on Monday, January 23, 2017 at Franciscan Health Lafayette East (formerly St. Elizabeth).
He was born September 17, 1933, in St Louis, MO, to the late James Mullen and Lillian Nelms Mullen. Jim graduated from University of Missouri at Rolla and received his masters and PhD from University of Illinois. On December 16, 2007, he married Susan Karcher in West Lafayette, who preceded him in death on January 13, 2017. James was as a tenured Physics Professor at Purdue University, and retired in 2001.
He was a member of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Wabash Area Lifetime Learning Association (WALLA), Parkwest Fitness, and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).
James believed that you could accomplish anything you put your mind to. He also believed that you should never stop learning or being physically active. He grew up around the end of the Great Depression and overcame many hardships. He decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to be a physicist. He enjoyed working out regularly, golf, bowling, speaking at events on physics topics and spending time with his family.
Throughout his life, he wrote journals and documented his journey. One of these journal entries stated: "Now I have come to see how even though I gave up on God; He did not give up on me...One thing that helped me get deeper faith was finding out... that I had been diagnosed with cancer... My faith has healed as my body has healed... It is not necessary to prove this faith to the skeptic, only to accept and follow it. The results that I have seen are quite remarkable."
Surviving are his children Barbara Blum of Indianapolis, Erin Mullen of Lafayette, Carol Mullen of Lafayette, James Mullen, Jr. of Indianapolis, Elizabeth Mullen of West Lafayette, Laura Mesa of St. George, SC, Kevin Mullen of Battle Ground. There are also 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who survive him. Also surviving are three step -children and sisters Nancy (Gerry) Schnurr of Des Moines, IA, and Marilyn Desenberg of Sarasota, FL.
Viewing will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday at Soller-Baker West Lafayette Chapel, 1184 Sagamore Parkway West. Memorial Service will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2017 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church. Rev. Christopher Danielson officiating. Private interment (burial) will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at Grand View Cemetery.You may sign the guest book, leave memories and photos at
www.soller-baker.com
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Memories and Condolences
for James Mullen
Sponsored by Soller-Baker Funeral Homes, Inc. – Lafayette Chapel.
6 Entries
Haywood Blum
December 21, 2021
We were teaching assistants in the Physics department. All of us shared one giant office, each with our own desk, but with no partitions separating us off from one another. We were very busy with our course work, trying to make up for our deficiencies in undergraduate courses by taking senior level physics as well as some graduate courses. We all taught sections of the basic Freshman course for engineers as well. There was a lecture once a week for everyone in this basic physics course in which the fundamental principles were pontificated and then demonstrated. The sections were for homework problems from the textbook. Somehow going from the general to the specific is always much harder than one would think it should be. This basic course was taught in three semesters: mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. Many a budding engineer failed this required and important course, possibly in order to keep the numbers under control, most likely because physics is not easy and they were not ready to understand it.
With all this work we still had time to fool around. Once we bought a cardboard rocket ship which fitted over the head down around the waist pointing in the direction we walked. It was about four feet long and two feet wide. Jim Mullen wore his to the section he was teaching, looking as dopey as possible, but quite oblivious to that. Jim was a hard shell Baptist. He went to church every Sunday, he didn´t drink or smoke or curse. He could not fathom anyone not believing as he did.
"You mean you don´t accept Jesus as your Savior?" he kept asking.
"No I don´t," I would reply. "It´s just nonsense."
So we had a bet. He would try to not believe for three weeks while I would try to believe. I would even read the New Testament every day. At the end of the three weeks we would compare notes. I kept up my end of the bargain, and so did Jim.
"Well," he said, "what´s the result?"
"I am completely unconvinced. I tried as hard as I could; I even tried to pray every night. It is not for me. How about you."
"I´m on your side. What was I thinking. I want to go out tonight, meet a nice girl and drink a beer."
So that is how I converted Jim Mullen. He had a spiritual awakening. Jesus seems like he was a good guy though.
Dr. William Helms
February 3, 2018
Sorry to hear of Jim's death. I was his fourth Ph.D graduate in physics at Purdue in 1970. He helped set-up my teaching career.
Cisneros Family
Beatriz Cisneros
February 5, 2017
Dear Carol, Kevin, Liz and Erin, so sorry to hear the news.
Gary/Linda Head
January 28, 2017
Ours hearts go out to family. We pray that God would comfort your hearts.
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Bill & Peggy Hoover
January 27, 2017
So sad -- condolences with prayers & blessings for the entire family. May memories be a welcoming comfort.
Gary Niskanen
January 26, 2017
Sorry for your recent losses
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