John Owen Mullen

John Owen Mullen M.D., 81, of Carlisle, PA passed away peacefully on Friday, August 5, 2022, at Arden Courts in Harrisburg, PA, surrounded by people who loved him.  He was born and raised in Iowa, and after medical school did his internship with the Navy in Charleston, SC.  After serving as a surgeon in Vietnam, and the rest of his Navy service in Bremerton, Washington, Dr. Mullen went on to his Orthopedic Surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic.  He practiced Orthopedic Surgery in Huntington, West Virginia, with Scott Orthopedic for 32 years.  John and his wife Nancy Lee (Paulson) Mullen RN, retired to Duck, NC.

John is survived by Nancy, his wife of over 60 years, as well as four children and twelve grandchildren.  Judy Mullen Steinfield of Salem, Massachusetts, her husband Ken, and her children Natalie and Nicholas, cherish the good memories they have of him.  Elizabeth America Ann Mullen Ph.D. and Ivan Guenno of Brest in France and their children François and Virginia loved him very much.  Michael John Mullen MD and his wife Hali Mullen, as well as their children Jake, Sam, Gennifer, Adam, Nathan, and Ben were fortunate to have him so near to them for the past two years and for several winters before then.  Jennifer Mary (Mullen) Cossons of London, her husband Malcolm, and their children Harland and Ariadne delighted in him and the summers they spent with him.  John was preceded in death by his parents, Francis James Mullen, and Virginia Alice (Kennedy) Mullen, and his sisters Caroline and Mary.

John had a great interest in history and a lifelong love of learning- so much so that he obtained a Master’s Degree in Pharmacology during medical school, and another Master’s in Orthopedic Surgery during his residency.  He was most proud of the work he did with a summer camp for children with Spina Bifida in West Virginia, so that they could have a summer camp experience where they could just be kids, reminiscent of the time he spent as a camper and then counselor with YMCA camps growing up in Iowa.

John loved the outdoors and photography.  He was an avid and expert skier.  Moving to West Virginia, he found a love of whitewater kayaking, where in addition to innumerable trips down the New River, the Gauley, and the Youghiogheny, he kayaked with his buddies Dave and Ernie down the Colorado, the Columbia, the Snake River, in addition to trips in Costa Rica and Ecuador.  He hiked and traveled all over the world, to include North and Central America, the Galapagos, Australia, and Antarctica, not to mention numerous places in Europe.

Memorial Services will be held on Friday, August 19, 2022, at 5:00 PM in the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 21 S Bedford St, Carlisle, PA 17013. A memorial service will be planned for next summer on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored by any donation to Arden Courts of Susquehanna or the Alzheimer’s Association for research and help with those dealing with that affliction.  Visit www.HollingerFuneralHome.com to offer condolences to the family.