Paul K. Mueller

Mueller, Paul K. Of Mequon, Wisconsin, was Born to Eternal Life on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Paul was born May 3, 1926, in Lodz, Poland, the only son of Paul and Lucie (nee Nitschke) Mueller. Wanting to protect her family, matriarch Lucie secretly wrote President Truman to ask permission for her family to come to America, but she never told her family until official permission was granted. In 1952, the Mueller family, sponsored by Lutheran World Federation, arrived in Madison, Wisconsin. Paul and his father were initially employed as mechanics with Pyramid Motors, while Lucie and Rita obtained work at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Paul worked his way up to Service Advisor at Pyramid Motors, then Ahrens Cadillac/Oldsmobile before becoming Service Advisor for Concours Motors in 1972 where he stayed for over 25 years. Although Paul had never been a competitive speed skater himself, the Mueller family was approached to join the Madison Speed Skating Club while they were on a family skating outing at Vilas Park. All three Mueller children competed for the Madison club and Paul became actively involved as a volunteer coach for over 15 years, instrumental in developing many champion skaters. In 1972, Paul moved his family to Mequon, Wisconsin, to be closer to the Olympic Ice Rink (now the Pettit National Ice Center) to enable his son, Peter, to pursue and obtain his dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. Peter's Olympic victory in 1976 was one of Paul's proudest moments. Paul also volunteered his time to the development of many skaters of all skill levels by serving in various official capacities with the Whitefish Bay Speed Skating Club, the Amateur Skating Union, the United States Speed Skating Association, the International Skating Union and the United States Olympic Committee. He participated in official capacities at many events including the U.S. Olympic Festival, U.S. Short Track, Winter Olympics, and other national and international speed skating events. Paul was inducted into the Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 1998. The "Big Cheese," as he was affectionately known, will be sorely missed by the speed skating community. Paul loved to hunt, collect stamps, play (or cheat at) cards, and spend time with his family and friends. He also took great pleasure in fishing with his grandson and watching his granddaughter skate. Paul is survived by his "dear German wife," Rita, his devoted and loving children, Dotty (Jeff) Miller, Peter Mueller, and Howard (Betsy) Mueller, and two loving and cherished grandchildren, Samantha and Mathew Mueller. Paul is also survived by many wonderful friends, including Pastor Ellsworth Freyer, Ernie Kretschmann, Jerry Steele, the Poulos family, and so many others. The family would like to thank Horizon Hospice and Cedar Springs for the kind and compassionate care they gave Paul and his family especially during the last days. Visitation will be on Thursday, December 15, 2011, from 4-7 PM at Christ Church, 13460 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, Wisconsin, with a service immediately following. A private burial is planned.