John M. Mullarkey

Beloved husband of the late Margaret. Loving father of David (Kimberly), Suzanne and
Kristen (Andrew). Cherished grandfather of Kara, Jillian, Christina, William and Luke.
Dear brother-in-law of Clare McCann. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.

“To see him once, was to know him always.”
From his favorite book: Lost Horizon

Trying to encapsulate the essence of John (Jack) Mullarkey’s character traits, in order to include them in a document such as this, is “tricky” at best. As family and friends shared memories of him, it was a challenge to condense them into a single unit – because there were just so many! Attributing them to ONE individual seemed to border on the unbelievable!

Memories from his children:

Long, long ago….in the years before anyone even HEARD of something called “Google,” if our friends needed to find out something quickly, they would rush off to the library. We just turned to Dad! He was a voracious reader with an insatiable intellectual curiosity and had an astonishing ability to retrieve that information for many years after it was obtained!

Dad loved to travel to see the places he read about. He was willing to go anywhere at any time and in any way – car, plane, boat and even a hot air balloon! His search for knowledge led him to explore new places, near and far, and if it was with family – all the better! He was a brilliant, widely read, contemplative “history buff.” On family trips, much to our chagrin, there was NEVER a historical plaque on the side of the road that we didn’t have to stop, get out of the car and read (sigh!). Whether the traditional annual family trips included pumpkin picking, apple picking, boat rides, nature walks or bagels on the beach, they ALWAYS ended with ice cream! And THAT, if truth be told, was the real reason we read all of those historical plaques!!

Dad was a loyal and dependable friend. He kept careful track of the events happening in their lives and kept open the lines of communication. He was steady, stable, organized, caring, supportive and always, ALWAYS encouraged people to think bigger and push themselves further in order to achieve things THEY may have felt were impossible but HE believed were not! But, above all else, came FAMILY – plain and simple! He always encouraged us, and then supported us, to try new things in pursuit of learning, growth, happiness and creating the best life possible. He methodically worked to instill in us a respect for the value and importance of education and always emphasized its ability to change the trajectory of our lives and our happiness through learning.

Dad took great pleasure in enjoying all of the traditional moments with his family …. from turkey carving and driving around L.I. to look at Christmas lights to sailing around the Great South Bay in his beloved boat, Bluefin, to having his face painted at summer carnivals (much to the tremendous delight of his grandchildren!) and…. especially…. attending absolutely ANY event that highlighted any member of his family! He took GREAT pride in finding the perfect Christmas ornament, a “useless” kitchen gadget or having as many ribbons as possible on each and every present he wrapped! He loved sailing, camping, gardening, repairing things, stamp collecting, all types of music, hunting for the perfect antique, wandering through museums, raising bonsai and reading, reading, reading. But, far more to the delight of his children, he was the original “Rand McNally” when it came to knowing the locations of each and every ice cream parlor – regardless of what state you were in!!

Dad participated in and finished the NYC Marathon. He proudly served in the U.S. Army, the NY National Guard, the Army Reserves and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was also a Supervisor at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and at Lakeside Family and Children’s Services. His leisure activities were …… anything you asked him to do! But, far and away, READING was what he enjoyed the most!

As a family, we would like to thank each and every one of his friends and our extended family for all of the interest, concern, offers of support that you have offered to him and to us during the past months. The journey was long and, at times, torturous but the support of family and friends helped greatly to smooth out the difficult road. Thank you for your interest, your support and your generous willingness to help!

Favorite Quote:

“A bad day on the boat is 200 times better than a good day at work!”

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