Johnnie Franklin Mullenix of Westford, MA

Johnnie Franklin Mullenix, 98, of Westford, MA passed away peacefully Friday, 28 October 2022, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford, MA.  He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Mary Emily (Cedarland) Mullenix of Westford MA, daughter Carol Schwartz of Manchester CT, son Paul Mullenix and daughter-in-law, Saleha Yusof of Tyngsboro MA, along with sister Anna Mae Lichtenberger of Lee Summit MO and former son-in-law Robert Schwartz of Waukesha WI.

Born east of Unionville, MO, Johnnie was the son of the late Gurney Franklin Mullenix and Ethel Faye (Pickett) Mullenix. He attended Martintown and Unionville High School, graduating in 1942, where he participated in baseball, basketball and track and field as relay anchor and pole vaulter.  He served with the U.S. Navy during WWII in the Pacific Theatre including the battle of Okinawa.  While on board ship he was the ship’s champion checker player, even beating the captain.  Playing checkers remained a lifelong love of Johnnie’s and he continued to play at a very high level well into his 90’s.

Johnnie was a loving and devoted husband and father.  He was generous with his time and his children can remember him teaching them woodworking, creating smoke signals for Indian Guides, guiding them to make a scale model Mount Vernon, helping them build a probability board for the Kansas City Science Fair, showing them how to replace a plumbing system, and instructing them on basic car maintenance.  Johnnie possessed a wide range of talents from short-hand to watch repair, to being able to fix absolutely anything or to never give up until he found a lost item.  Once, when Mary lost her wedding ring in the back yard after taking off a baseball glove, Johnnie went out the next morning and found the ring glistening in the morning sun—he could find anything.

Johnnie worked for Hertz, then the Midwest Grain Company and followed by the Rock Island Railroad Police Division where he also served as the Union Treasurer.  After Rock Island went bankrupt in 1975, Johnnie landed a job with Midwest Typewriter Company and while selling typewriters he started up a conversation with a general chairman from Union Pacific Railroad.  Because of this conversation he was offered an interview and subsequent job with Union Pacific.  His skill as a conversationist was unparalleled and he would regularly start up conversations with others—no one was a stranger.  He worked for Union Pacific until 1985 before suffering a serious brain aneurysm.  With the help of his wife Mary, he regained his health and continued to take an active role in not only his children’s lives, but his grand children and their spouses, Zachary Jacob and Gretchen Schwartz of Cupertino CA, Allison Lizabeth and Kevin Craft of Tampa FL, John Blaise Mullenix of Heidelberg Germany, Sarah Faiz of Shah Alam Malaysia, Benjamin Faiz and Maisarah Mazlam of Westford MA, and Maryam Emily Mullenix of Westford MA along with great-grandchildren Silas Edward Schwartz and Brixton Franklin Craft.

Johnnie and Mary lived in Raytown and Blue Springs MO, each for over 30 years and continued a loving relationship spanning more than 69 years.  They traveled together with over a dozen overseas trips to four continents.  He was a devoted husband but required special care, especially in his later years.  This care was lovingly given by his wife Mary and when Johnnie was admitted to the VA Hospital, Mary, at over 90 years old, drove to see him virtually every day for over 14 months to feed, reminisce and enjoy time with her husband.  Their relationship of more than 69 years has set the standard for how a marriage should be lived—this is an example our family deeply admires.

Johnnie had a great love of cars and always worked on his own cars straight from the shop manual.  He recorded his miles per gallon in notebooks at each fill up for over 50 years with some of this data being used in statistical training courses.  He always bought Ford cars (21 in total) and was an avid Nascar, Royals and Chiefs fan.

He was a member of Eastwood Hills Baptist Church in Raytown MO, First Baptist Church in Blue Springs MO and First Baptist Church of Chelmsford, MA with his wife and love of his life, Mary.  His family will lovingly cherish the many wonderful memories he gave to us all.  We can picture you in heaven with your morning biscuits with gravy and newspaper, probably reading the latest news of how your many loved ones miss you dearly.

FUNERAL NOTICE

Visitation Friday, November 4, 2022 from 8:30AM to 9:30AM at Bedford VA Hospital Chapel. Funeral Friday, November 4, 2022 at 9:30 AM at Bedford VA Hospital Chapel. Burial at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, MA at 1:30PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family would request that donations in memorium of Johnnie be sent to the  Bedford-Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital either online at https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/52253675/ or by check payable to “Bedford VA” with “In memoriam of Johnnie Mullenix” in the memo line, sent to the following address:

VA Bedford Healthcare System, David James Hospice Unit
CDCE (135)
200 Springs Road
Bedford, Massachusetts 01730