Michael John Mullen was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota to Denise and Kenneth Mullen. He was raised in Grand Forks with his two little sisters, Molly (Volkerding) and Margo (McCulley) and attended St. Michaels and then Grand Forks Central where he played basketball, football, and ran track. Mike went to college at the University of Notre Dame, and upon graduation he enlisted in the Marines as an officer. He served across the world with the Marines for four years, before going to Georgetown Law School where he would meet many lifelong friends.
Mike spent the next thirty years in Washington D.C. where he met his wife Jean (Hill) and worked as a lawyer for the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees drafting and analyzing legislation, including the federal Rules of Evidence and the federal Criminal Code. Mike later spent a few years in private practice, and the second half of his career with the North Dakota Health Department and Attorney General's Office working on health policy and privacy.
Throughout his varied career Mike was a dedicated, unassuming, and enormously gifted policy analyst and lawyer. Endlessly humble, Mike mentored other attorneys and burgeoning policy experts, including his own children, by generously offering his time, stories, and advice. He enjoyed his work immensely. He was thoughtful and insightful in considering how to approach the law and legislation. A dedicated public servant, he was driven by his compassion for others, and was continuously impressed with, and grateful for, the countless state and federal employees he worked alongside.
Mike and Jeanie began vacationing in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire in 1982 and made it their home when Jeanie retired. He enjoyed spending time with his family and taking them to concerts, especially the great folk musicians of the 60s, as well as skiing, playing tennis, hiking, and snowshoeing in the White Mountains. A passionate lifelong learner, he sought out lectures and continuing education courses and loved reading the New York Review of Books. He traveled with Jeanie and continued working remotely for the State of North Dakota until November of 2024. He maintained his bar licenses for 56 years, and often attended state Bar Association meetings. In 2021, he had the opportunity to return to Notre Dame through the Inspired Leadership Initiative, taking classes with his cohort (and undergraduates!) and attending all the weekend football games. He felt it was an incredible experience, and he loved keeping up with his ILI friends, and cherished their friendship and time together.
Mike and his family are infinitely grateful to the friends and family who offered their companionship over the years, and their care and comfort this fall. He is remembered as a gentle, thoughtful, and intellectually curious husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend. Surviving him are his wife Jean and his four children: Melissa, her sons Sam and Aidan and daughter-in-law Kayleigh; Meredith and Chuck and their three children Seba, Clara, and Willow; Mary Denise and Dan, and their children Henry and Dottie; and his son Michael and partner Kalesha. He is also survived by his sister Margo and her husband Jim; his brother-in-law John, his cousins; dozens of nieces and nephews and their families; along with countless wonderful friends. He is preceded in death by his parents and sister Molly Volkerding.
A celebration of life will be planned in Waterville Valley for the summer of 2025.
