Robert Mullen

Bob passed away peacefully from a terminal illness while on vacation in Door County where he spent the week surrounded by family and friends.

Bob had an infectious personality and made friends wherever he went. He knew a litany of Irish songs and entertained many patrons in small town pubs, especially at the Irish Open Golf Outings. Bob took a special delight in seeing others accomplish goals, great or small. He was always up for a game of cribbage or Sheepshead where lessons were cheap! Bob had a lot of nicknames: Rupert, Rupey, Squeeze, Mully, Mudcock, That Guy, Bronco Bob, “Uncle Bob” and many more. Bob grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin as the 7th child of Christopher “CJ” and Rosemary Mullen. 

Growing up Bob enjoyed the great outdoors and sports. Bob graduated from Appleton Xavier where he was in choir and played football, basketball, track and baseball. He was named “Athlete of the Year” in 1974 . Bob joined the Army in 1974 and was stationed in Germany in a ballistics battalion where he was runner up for “Soldier of the Month” honors. 

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Bob took the long way home from Germany and spent months biking across Europe and parts of Africa. In 1979, after arriving back in the United States, Bob biked the Bicentennial Trail from Washington State to Long Island, NY. Bob attended UW Stevens Point and later attended the University of Wisconsin Fox Valley Extension in Neenah where he met the love of his life and future wife, Lorna “Doone” Pellett. Bob and Doone married in 1985 and have two daughters; Kelly (Aaron Lyons) who resides in Wisconsin and Rebecca (Kevin Rose) who resides in Colorado.

Bob spent his career with U.S. Cable Inc. as a lineman, supervisor and eventually as President. He worked across the country building telephone, CATV and fiberoptic communications systems. Bob built a wonderful rapport with both customers and employees; many who became lifelong friends.

Bob embraced his role managing his Missouri Farm and the Mullen Family Farm in Wisconsin for many years. Bob was an avid outdoorsman taking many “Trips of a Lifetime” to Alaska, Canada, the Grand Canyon, Sylvania, the Boundary Waters, Quetico, Ireland, Scotland, River Cruise on the Danube, and many more. Bob hosted fishing trips and hunting camp for family and friends for turkey, deer archery, the youth hunt, gun season, bear season, and black powder season.

As a child, Bob was an alter server at St. Joseph’s Parish and later was an active member of St. Mary’s Parish in Appleton where he ushered, assisted with funeral luncheons with Doone, and worked at St. Joseph’s Food Pantry for many years following his mom’s many years of service there. He was also a member of the Appleton area Optimist Club.

Bob and Doone took over hosting family holidays after CJ and Rosemary Mullen passed away. They hosted the entire Mullen family for Thanksgiving and New Years at The Farm and Christmas in Appleton.

Bob was the guy who always helped others. If you needed help moving from Alaska or Kentucky, building cabins, cutting down trees, building (literal) bridges, dropping off a Jeep in Connecticut or a boat picked up in Missouri or Florida he was always ready, willing, and able! No matter what you need, it’s always “on the way.” Who else would take a road trip from Wisconsin to Colorado with stops in Texas and Arizona?

Growing up, Bob marched to a different tune. When in school, he chose to play the tuba, even though he could only transport it by bicycle. He brought home unusual pets to raise: a rescued raven, a rescued hawk, and 30 baby turkeys to name a few. Bob was known to drink beer out of the boot of perfect strangers at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston or take shots of moonshine offered at a rural gas station. To Bob, there are no strangers, only friends he hadn’t met yet. He introduced a few Mullen wedding traditions including blowing fire and the “egg drop”. Bob participated in bed races on Kelly Lake and as a Viking in boat races through Madison. He was often leading creek walks, snowshoe and skiing trips, canoe or tubing river runs, or random walks in the woods with no particular destination in mind. He always finished every adventure, even the treacherous ones, with “But did you have fun?”

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, CJ and Rosemary Mullen, brother William Mullen, sister-in-law Connie Mullen, brother-in-law Dick Tibbals and niece Molly Mullen. Bob is survived by his wife Lorna, daughters Kelly (Aaron Lyons), Rebecca (Kevin Rose), brothers and sisters: Christopher (Marilyn), Patrick (Francy), Daniel (Donna), Mary (Sherman LaViolette), James, Jeffrey (Bobbie), Timothy (Linda), and Anne (Gabe Arzer), 50 nieces and nephews and 57 grand nieces and grand nephews. 

Bob’s memory will live on in the thousands of stories and adventures remembered by those who love him. If you have any Bob Mullen stories, photos, or “Bob-isms” you would like to share with the family, please email them to bobmullenadventures@gmail.com “You can do it!” 

A wake will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church, 312 S. State Street, Appleton, WI on July 31st, 2025, from 1-4pm. A funeral liturgy will be held on August 1st, 2025, at 11am with visitation beginning at 10am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the ALS Association or the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry in Appleton, WI.