PAULA MUELLER

MUELLER--Paula. It is with great sadness that we inform you that Paula J. Mueller died on Wednesday morning, August 10, 2022. As anyone who ever met her knows, she was an incredible and memorable person. She was a brilliant, vivacious woman with an indomitable spirit, graced with extraordinary generosity of character, and with an unbridled curiosity, who made her presence felt wherever she went. She grew up in Ithaca, New York, with her siblings Kay, Rob and Dana, and their beloved parents Betty and Bob Mueller. As a teenager, Paula was an accomplished figure skater who loved to hit the ice with her dear friend MJ, and also played the bassoon. She was mentored in Albany by New York State Assembly person, Constance Cooke, who inspired and encouraged her to a higher calling in life. She attended Cornell University as an undergraduate, received a BA in History and later graduated with a JD from Cornell Law School in 1973, as one of only three women in her class, and distinguished herself throughout a long and illustrious career in law, first as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, then as General Counsel for Rockefeller & Co., the Family Office, and later as General Counsel and Managing Director for Parkview International, an office for the Juffali Family, under the direction of Joseph Vale. She had many far flung adventures in life and traveled quite extensively. As a young woman, she joined the Peace Corps and lived in Honduras for a short time. She loved the south of France, the beaches of Kauai, the slopes of Courchevel, Japan, Cambodia, and Hong Kong, particularly the antiquities markets. She was determined to live her life to the fullest and explore everything the world had to offer. She served on numerous boards including Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, Rockefeller Trust Co., The Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, The Drama League, The Design Trust for Public Space, and The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. She also held an annual scholarship in her name at Cornell Law School awarded for academic merit on the basis of financial need. She has many wonderful friends, including Ann and Don Morrison, who enjoyed her infectious personality and flair for style. She loved to host elaborate dinner parties at her brownstone on the Upper West Side where she lived for decades. She read voraciously. She was a gifted analytical thinker and witty conversationalist with keen insights into human behavior. She loved tennis, theater, and opera. Although not an adventurous eater, she was a habitue of great restaurants because she liked the ambience, and never missed a good event. She was renowned in the circles she hosted as the life of the party and was the centerpiece of any room in which she set foot, for her dazzling outfits alone, if not for her irresistibly charming demeanor. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Philippe Salomon, her son, Dana Mueller O'Keefe, and her grandson, Julian O'Keefe Ostberg and their family. We all love her dearly and will miss her joie de vivre enormously. In lieu of gifts or flowers, please make a charitable contribution in Paula's name to the American Cancer Society.