Rev. Dr. Frank Albert Mullen

RICHMOND, Ind. – Rev. Dr. Frank Albert Mullen, age 83, died on Thursday, October 9, 2014, at his home in Richmond, Indiana. Frank was born on April 7, 1931, in Lafayette, Indiana, to Albert Edwin Mullen and Bernice Elizabeth Weidlich Mullen. He had one brother, Thomas James Mullen, who died in 2009. Frank received a B.A. from Wabash College in 1953 and an M. Div. from Yale Divinity School in 1956. He became an ordained minister in the Disciples of Christ Church in 1956. He received an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 1988. After graduation from Yale in 1956, Frank worked for the YMCA in Delaware and New York, culminating in his service of 17 years as Executive Director of Sloane House in Manhattan, the largest residential YMCA building in the nation. After leaving Sloane House, Frank worked as Development Director for a large New York hospital. Then, in 1984, he became Director of Development for Yale Divinity School where he served for 13 years until his retirement in 1997. In addition to his work in development, Frank was simultaneously the pastor of two churches, St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Flushing, New York, and the Elmhurst Community Church in Elmhurst, New York. He served these churches for more than 27 years. Frank served for 12 years on the Board of Directors of the Disciples of Christ Church Extension Fund. He was also a member and trustee of the Park Avenue Christian Church in New York and was a life member of the Yale Divinity School Board of Advisors. Frank served as class agent for the class of 1953 of his beloved Alma Mater, Wabash College for 50 years! He was also the class agent for his 1956 class at Yale Divinity School. Frank was married to fellow Yale alumna, Ruth Ackerman on May 28, 1960. Ruth died in 1969. After Ruth’s death, Frank opened his large home in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York, to students from nearby St. John’s University. He provided safe, affordable housing to generations of students at St. John’s and made lasting friendships in the process. Frank loved to travel and had visited every continent and over 100 countries. He was a member of the Circumnavigator’s Club which requires its members to have traveled around the world. In addition to traveling himself, he also led travel groups to the Holy Land on several occasions and served as a chaplain on cruise ships. In 2002, Frank sold his home in New York and moved to Richmond, Indiana, to be near his brother Tom. He donated the $1.25 million proceeds from the sale of his home to the Earlham School of Religion to endow ESR’s Ministry of Writing program, which was begun by his brother Tom Mullen, a former dean of ESR. Frank is survived by his sister-in-law, Nancy Faus-Mullen of Richmond, and by his brother’s children and their spouses who became his surrogate children over the years and loved him like a second father: Charles and Sarah Mullen Northrop of Richmond, Hideki and Martha Mullen Shigenobu of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Brett and Pam Mullen of Richmond, and Steve Beaven and Ruth Mullen of Portland, Oregon, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews. Memorial gifts can be sent to the Ministry of Writing Program at the Earlham School of Religion, 228 College Avenue, Richmond, IN 47374; Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511; or Wabash College, 410 West Wabash Avenue, Crawfordsville, IN 47933. Memorial service for Rev. Dr. Frank Albert Mullen will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 25, 2014, in the Community Room at Friends Fellowship Community, 2030 Chester Blvd., Richmond, with Joshua Brown officiating. Burial will be beside his beloved wife Ruth in Beaverdale Memorial Park in New Haven, Connecticut. Arrangements are being handled by Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.

Rev. Dr. Frank Albert Mullen

April 7, 1931 - October 9, 2014