- George Mueller, 86, passed away quietly Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, surrounded by family and friends at Oakridge Gardens where he had been living since a severe stroke in 2006. A prominent businessman, civic leader, avid hunter, weekend golfer and supporter of the arts, George's greatest love was his family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his cherished wife, Joan; his teenage daughter, Toni; his older brother, Clarence; and his younger sister, Lois.
He is survived by his three sons, Greg, Tim and Tobin; his grandchildren Chris, Catherine, Peter (Greg); Emily, Deidre, Miranda (Tim); and Anton, Will, Carl, Sarah (Tobin); and eight great-grandchildren.
George was born above the Mueller General Store in Sherwood, Wis., in 1921, to Anton and Gertrude (Holzschuh) Mueller. He helped out at the store at an early age (his father died when he was young), enabling him to get a headstart in the business world. During high school and college, he continued to work in the family business, selling groceries, hardware and farm goods. Appleton High School is where he met his wife-to-be, Joan. (George would later be inducted into the Appleton West High School Hall of Fame.) After graduating from Lawrence University, with degrees in chemistry and mathematics, he became a midshipman at Northwestern University, with electronics training at Harvard and MIT, and was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy during World War II (1943-46). His ship, the USS Towner, was in the reserve fleet in the Okinawa invasion. After being released from active duty in 1946, he formed a Naval Reserve Electronics Warfare Co., housed in the Alexander Gym of Lawrence College, in 1947, serving in various capacities, including Commanding Officer, until 1956. He remained a member of the American Legion Hawley-Dieckhoff Post #33 until his death.
After World War II, he joined Marathon Corporation as a research chemist, where he developed waxes (used for coating cheeses, food cartons, printed packaging papers) and where he helped develop the first industrial uses of plastic wrap, plastic bags, microwave technology and folded paper napkins. He became group leader of a Process Engineering Group and, after the company was purchased by American Can, became manager of the Ashland, Canal and Neenah Plants and corporate Process Engineering. In 1968, he joined Wisconsin Tissue Mills, became President in 1983, retired in 1988. Upon his retirement, George chaired Integrated Paper Services and was the driving force behind the establishment of the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame. He was a member of TAPPI (50 years), the American Paper Institute (24 years), Wisconsin Paper Council (four years, one as President), and the Wisconsin Paper Group (three years, one as President). In 2007, he was inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame for leadership, R&D and service.
George was also active in several volunteer and civic organization, including the Advisory Board to the WI-DNR, the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce (seven years, one as President), Green Bay Catholic Apostolate (22 years), Neenah Library Board (five years, one as President), Neenah-Menasha United Way (six years, one as President), Elks Club (44 years), and Rotary since 1959, serving as President at Menasha Rotary and a Paul Harris fellow. He was the spokesman for the initial Menasha Downtown Revitalization drive and served 13 years on the development committee. He established an endowment scholarship in Chemistry at Lawrence University and was a Founder's Club member. He also endowed a scholarship at Fox Cities Technical College for papermaking. He was a faithful member of the St. Margaret Mary Parish (Neenah) since 1951.
George attributed his good fortune and happy life to his lifelong companion, Joan, to his faith in God, to the creative and hardworking people he was able to work alongside, and to his innate curiosity, general good health and optimistic outlook. He felt his experience in World War II provided him with leadership skills he never would have otherwise developed. The tutelage of his early supervisors helped usher him into positions where he felt he could make a difference. He was a generous, insightful, innovative and energetic man who never forgot those who helped him along the way.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, at St. Margaret Mary Church, 620 Division Street, Neenah, with the Rev. Michael Ingold officiating. Interment will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Sherwood. Friends may call at the Kessler Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m., Monday with a vigil service at 7:30 p.m. and at the church from 10:30 a.m. Tuesday until the time of the mass. A reception at St Johns-Sacred Heart Parish (N36 Military Rd, Sherwood, Wis.) will follow the burial at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Sherwood (1 p.m.).
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in George's name.
KESSLER FUNERAL HOME
& CREMATION SERVICES
Neenah
920-722-6464
|
1921 - 2008 (86 years)
Has 16 ancestors and 4 descendants in this family tree.
1930 Census
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Mueller, Toni Lois
