George M. Mulhern

1923 - 2017

George M. Mulhern
September 19, 1923 - April 12, 2017
Resident of Los Altos
George M. Mulhern, 93, a 49-year Los Altos resident and former newsman and public relations official, died April 12th, 2017.
George was born Sept. 19, 1923 in Wellesley MA, the son of George James Mulhern and Bertha Mulhern. He spent his early years in Cohasset, a seaside community about 25 miles south of Boston, and graduated from Cohasset High School in June, 1941.
After a year working as a welder in a factory in Hartford, CT, he enlisted in the Army in July, 1942. He completed basic and advanced training at Ft. Monmouth, NJ and was assigned to the 54th Signal Battalion. During two and a half years overseas he served in three campaigns in the European Theater of Operations.
After his discharge from the Army he completed three years at Boston University, then was recalled to active Army duty in June 1950, and served in the 278th Infantry Regiment in Alaska, Iceland and the Continental U.S. During his service in Iceland he met his future wife, Lt. Dorothy M. Horton, a U.S. Air Force Flight Nurse from Williamsburg, PA.
Following his Army discharge in 1952, George and Dorothy were married, and while she completed the final three months of her service obligation at Parks Air Force Hospital near Livermore, CA, he resumed his studies at Boston University.
George received a B.S. Degree in Journalism in1953 and an M.S. degree in 1954. After graduating from B.U. he joined the Associated Press as a newsman in the Boston bureau and then served in the Richmond, VA bureau as radio news editor.
In 1956 he joined the public relations department of Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York City as a writer and photographer, and then held several other public relations positions at Bell Labs and A.T.& T. before becoming Director of the Public Information Department at Bell Labs.
He left the Bell System in 1962 to become Director of Public Relations for Lockheed Electronics Company in Plainfield, NJ. After six years, he transferred to Lockheed Missiles & Space Company in Sunnyvale, CA. For the next 20 years he served as Public Relations Director of the Sunnyvale Company until his retirement in 1988.
After his retirement George and Dorothy traveled extensively through Eastern and Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and China. In 2000 they made an auto tour of the United States, visiting National Parks, Presidential Libraries and Sports Halls of Fame.
He was preceded in death in 2014 by Dorothy, his wife of 61 years. He leaves three sons and their families: George J. Mulhern (Karen) of Eagle, ID; Col. Mathew D. Mulhern, USMC, Ret. (Anna) of Palo Alto, CA; and William B. Mulhern (Susan) of Menlo Park, CA. Survivors also include
nine grandchildren and nieces, nephews and friends across the country.
George showed all who knew him the meaning of kindness, humility, generosity, compassion and integrity. He lived by the Golden Rule and we are all grateful for the opportunity we have had to learn by his example.
Plans for services will be announced later.


View the online memorial for George M. Mulhern