Joseph Paul Mueller

The last of a breed, Joseph Paul Mueller, rancher, oilman, civic leader, a person of great faith, and, his most cherished role, family man, passed away peacefully the morning of July 11, 2016 at age 90. He was the quintessential Texas gentleman, usually wearing a tie, with boots and cowboy hat either on his head or nearby. Larger than life, he was its most humble servant, too. In fact, he would probably be embarrassed by this obituary. Joe, Daddy, Poppa, as he was known to family and friends, was born to Helen McManus Mueller and Joseph Henry Mueller in San Antonio, Texas on May 5, 1926. His family moved to Corpus Christi not long after that and he enjoyed an idyllic childhood fishing and hunting with his father, riding his pony and spending time in the South Texas outdoors. He attended Corpus Christi Academy, and at age 16, enrolled in Texas A & M College. During World War II he attended flight school at Millsaps College in Mississippi as part of a Naval training program, then pre-flight school at the University of North Carolina where he played center on the football team under Bear Bryant's coaching. He served in the Korean War as forward artillery observer and rose to the rank of 1St Lieutenant. One of his fondest memories was climbing Mt. Fuji in Japan while on leave. Summiting, he was welcomed into a weather observation station, sipping tea and listening to classical music above the clouds. He returned to Texas A & M College following World War II where he earned his degree in Petroleum Engineering. He met his wife of 62 years at a Corpus Christi wedding, and married Patty Puig Mueller in 1954. Together they reared five children in Corpus Christi. In 1957 he and Patty started Mueller Engineering, a petroleum engineering firm that they ran together for 40 years. He loved to fix things, much to Patty's chagrin. "Joe, let's please call a plumber," was often ignored (for the first two rounds of Aggie engineering). He liked to do things with his hands and taught us the beauty of creating things---toys from his lathe, homemade kites, lamp bases. He drew plans in his carefully lettered engineering handwriting for deer blinds and for the fun of building them together. He fixed hearts, too, leaning in to hear your troubles and offering his unique brand of quiet wisdom and support. He would brush aside physical ailments and keep on going. Not much brought him down, due to his faith, resilience and his positive outlook. He received tremendous joy in serving on the Kenedy Memorial Foundation Board for many years, working with people to help better the lives of others. He was also involved in the YMCA of Corpus Christi, the Texas A & M Engineering Council, and he and Patty headed up the Chancellor's Committee for the Texas A & M System from2009 to 2010. Joe had more close calls with death than a cat, and all handled with gratitude and, often, his twinkle-in-the-eye humor. On his near drowning in a pool not long ago, he brushed it off with a wink and a big smile: I was just checking out the drain." He would follow those close calls by reflecting, "God must want me here for a reason." God did let us have him for 90 years and we received generously: loving advice, a moral compass, a signature kind word or one of his encompassing hugs. Poll his kids and grandkids and they'd probably recall the peace found when sitting in a church pew with his arms gathering several people at once in a reassuring embrace. He would look people in the eye when he spoke to them, making them feel like there was nothing more important in the world than his visit with them at that very moment. Beyond these gifts, he gave us a love of nature and animals. His happiest times were spent outdoors, at the St. Jude Ranch, fishing with his family, surveying a well or riding around checking on the cows and fences. For years, a framed letter from Chief Seattle to the US president hung on the wall of his office. The spirit of it was that that we needed to take care of and love the land and water. A devout Catholic, he has a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom he credited with many miracles in his life. His office space in later years had a collection of Our Lady of Guadalupe paraphernalia he collected: mouse pads, icons, statuettes and framed prints. He often signed off from his emails to family with "Our Lady of Guadalupe loves you! Juan Diego." Phone calls usually ended with a volley of "I love you" exchanged…no less than three rounds, sometimes four, preceded by the question, "Is there anything I can do for you?" "You can do anything you want to do," and "rise above it" we often heard him say. Another favorite was, "Don't stress the herd," which he applied generously to both the bovines and humans in his life. And, frequently he shared, "We are only put on this earth for a short time. We need to love and help each other." That was his credo. He lived it and, with grace, taught us all how to do the same. Joe is survived by his loving wife Patty, children Michelle Mueller Moffitt (Bill), Martha Mueller Guicciardini (Federico), Mary Pat Mueller, Paul Mueller (Kelly), and Julianna Clardy (Mike). Infant son Peter Mueller and granddaughter Pia Guicciardini predeceased him. Cherishing his life lessons are grandchildren Will, Luke, Kathryn, Matthew, Robert, Austin, and Barron Moffitt and their families; Lorenzo and Ottavia Guicciardini Corsi Salviati; Lawrence and Helen Nourzad; Alex Mueller Davis, Riley and Jake Mueller, Katie, Lizzie, Michael and Joshua Clardy. He is also survived by his beloved sister, Alice Marie Mueller Stone and numerous nieces and nephews. The family welcomes visitors from 4:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Friday, July 15, 2016 at the Corpus Christi Cathedral, followed by a Rosary at 6:00 P.M. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Corpus Christi Cathedral at 2:00 pm, Saturday, July 16, 2016 with a private burial to follow at Seaside Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, friends may consider a donation to Mother Teresa Shelter, Inc., 513 Sam Rankin Street, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401 or to the charity of your choice.