David Frederick Mull

Celebration of Life This is the Place Herritage Park 2601 Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Sunday Jul 27, 2025: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
With broken hearts, we announce the passing of David Mull in a tragic accident while hiking in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
David Frederick Mull was born on June 3, 1976 in Redwood City, California, to Charles Gilbert and Yvonne DuBois Mull. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved their family to Anchorage, Alaska, where Dave spent the rest of his childhood. Dave loved growing up amongst the mountains and rivers of Alaska and said that even as a young man, he knew he was lucky to be living there. As a teenager, Dave spent his summers helping a family friend fish on the shores of Lake Clark National Park and hiking with friends in the Chugach Mountains outside of Anchorage. Its wildness and beauty were a part of him. He named his first son Atigun after a river in the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska.
After high school, Dave went to Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Government. At that age, he wanted to be the President of the United States and started down the path to becoming a politician. David then attended law school at the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he graduated in 2002 in the top 10 percent of his class.
After graduation, David clerked for Chief Justice Christine M. Durham of the Utah Supreme Court. He was a partner at Snow Christensen & Martineau and then worked as senior corporate counsel for the Utah Transit Authority, where David tried many jury cases. He was one of the youngest lawyers in Utah to be inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates. At the time of his death, he was a senior litigation attorney for Salt Lake City.
Dave met his wife, Keli, a year after graduating law school at an ultimate frisbee game and the two fell in love very quickly. They were like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. Dave and Keli married in 2008 and spent part of their honeymoon hiking the Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland with their closest friends. While Dave was reluctant to have children, when his first son, Atigun, was born on November 7, 2009, Dave fell instantly in love. Dave and Keli welcomed their second son, Parker, on December 1, 2011.
Dave was an incredible father. He loved his boys with all of his heart and cherished the big and small moments of their lives. He loved playing, reading, snuggling, and caring for his sons and did all of that with all of the love and gentleness that was just a part of who he was. He loved camping and hiking with his kids and would spontaneously take them to the desert as often as possible to have a campfire with smores, stories, and ukulele.
David was an avid ultimate frisbee player. It was an incredibly important part of his life and he would sometimes play seven days a week at various pick up games around the Salt Lake Valley. It was fun and brought him happiness. He would sometimes come home after a game covered in dirt but beaming if he'd made an incredible catch or had played well. Even at 49 when the younger generation could finally outrun him, Dave loved playing and did so whenever possible.
While Dave was very accomplished academically and professionally, he was driven by a desire to make the most of life's simple pleasures. Dave would spend hours sitting on his back deck, spritzing himself with water to keep cool and listening to music. He spent hours snuggling on the couch with his cats or playing Risk and Axis and Allies with his boys. He was a fun, gentle and calming presence in his home.
While Dave treasured his relaxation time on the deck or his couch, he also had incredible bursts of energy. Several years ago, Dave embarked on a solo bike ride, packed with camping and cooking gear, from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.
Dave was an incredible husband, friend and partner. He loved Keli with all of his heart and made sure she knew it every day. He would call and text Keli daily during work to tell her how much he loved her and that he was thinking about her. He gave Keli space to be herself and thought all of her quirks were cute, rather than annoying. He and Keli were very close and had grown closer every year of their marriage. He anchored her and loved her for just who she was without ever asking her to be anything else. To give that kind of unconditional love to his wife and kids was an incredible gift that will live in their hearts forever.
Dave lost his parents over the past several years. When his mom was dying, Dave spent every day sitting by her bed giving her comfort. Dave always had a deep appreciation for the small moments, but losing his parents gave him a deeper sense of wonder and gratitude for life. He was grateful for every sunset and every delicious meal. He would tell Keli repeatedly that whatever meal she'd cooked was the best ever. He would walk the neighborhood in the evening to watch the sunset and to enjoy the evening summer weather.
Dave died on July 19, 2025. He woke at 4 that morning to get an early start hiking the Pfeifferhorn in the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake. He summited around 8:15 a.m. and sent his family a picture of him at the top. He died shortly after sending that picture.
Dave is survived by his Wife, Keli Beard, sister, Christina Beckmann (John), his two sons, Atigun Elias Mull and Parker Winston Mull, and his two beloved cats, Edward and Rosemary. He will be forever missed by his family and his many friends. He will be missed by the world, which needs more people who know how to love unconditionally and slow down to appreciate every sunset.
There will be Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at the Garden Place in This is the Place Heritage Park, 2601 Sunnyside Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah. All are welcome to attend.