Martha Mullen Obituary

Martha Lee (Conger) Mullen, 91, died on New Year's Eve 2023 in Honolulu. She was born in Honolulu on October 10, 1932, to Sidney Lee and Ruby Sharp Conger. She graduated from Punahou School in 1950 and then went on to earn BA and MA degrees in Education from Stanford University.

On August 19, 1955 she married her high school sweetheart, John W. "Jack" Mullen. While Jack finished Stanford Business School, Martha Lee put her degrees into action teaching 3rd grade at El Carmelo school in Palo Alto. Following Jack's recruitment out of Stanford by Union Oil Co. (UnoCal), Martha Lee put her career on the back burner focusing instead on being a corporate wife and homemaker, following Jack to UnoCal postings in San Francisco, Reno, Hilo, Honolulu, Sacramento, Chicago, San Francisco (again), Honolulu (again) Los Angeles and to Honolulu for a third and final time all while raising three children. During the 1970s Martha Lee returned to the classroom, part-time, to teach English as a Second Language to recently immigrated students at Kaewai Elementary School in Kalihi. In the 1980s during their time in the Los Angeles area, Martha Lee began a pattern of service to church and fellow believers by acting as a deacon of First Presbyterian Church in La Canada.

Widowed in Honolulu in 1988 and with children grown, Martha Lee focused her energy and attention on learning art history, seeing the world and bearing witness to her faith. In 1989 she co-founded the Central Union Church Women's Retreat, a still ongoing annual event at Camp Mokuleia and later served as an elder, small group and Bible study leader at First Presbyterian Church, Ko'olau, and was a devoted member of the prayer teams for both Hawaiian Islands Ministries and First Presbyterian Church. In her later years, when she couldn't attend First Presbyterian in person, Martha Lee kept up with online worship services and continued her commitment to praying for those listed in the church's weekly Prayer Letter.

Martha Lee is survived by children Lee Ann, Bob (Jill), and Tom (Jane) Mullen, all of California and by her brother, Tommy, of Oregon.

Services will be private for Arcadia residents only on March 2, and open to all at First Presbyterian Church in Kaneohe on March 3-visitation 1:00pm, service 2:00pm. Copies of Martha Lee's memoir, "Memories of a Blessed Life", will be available to peruse before and after services. In lieu of flowers, contributions are encouraged to the Jack and Martha Lee Mullen Financial Aid Fund at Punahou School (https://www.punahou.edu/giving/give-now), Hawaiian Islands Ministries (https://www.himonline.org/donate) and First Presbyterian Church (https://www.fpchawaii.org/give).

Arrangements Provided By: Oahu Mortuary