Joseph Timothy Mullhaupt
2/21/2018
Dr. Joseph Timothy Mullhaupt of Warwick, formerly of Amherst, NY, passed away on February 21, 2018 at Schervier Pavilion. He was born on February 25, 1932, in St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania, to John and Helen Frances Grace Mullhaupt. He was the youngest of four sons, following Alfred, John, and Richard. Tragically, John died when Tim was one, and the family moved to Warren, where he grew up.
An avid student, Tim earned scholarships to help him attend the University of Rochester, in Rochester, NY, where he met and fell in love with Joan Martin, who was studying flute at the Eastman School of Music, while they attended activities at the Catholic Newman Center. Together they shared a deep love of music, including playing chamber music together on the recorder.
He graduated in 1954 with high honors and a Bachelor’s in Chemistry and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honor societies.
Tim and Joan became engaged and he moved to Providence, Rhode Island to pursue his doctorate at Brown University. Joan worked at a radio station in New York City and then as a teacher in Providence. In February 1957, Tim and Joan married and daughter Catherine was born in November.
Tim was a National Science Foundation Fellow at Brown. While Joan typed his thesis, Tim took Catherine for long walks in her stroller through the Brown campus. He completed his thesis in 1958 and was awarded a Ph.D in Physical Chemistry. He accepted a position as a research chemist with Linde Division of Union Carbide, in Tonawanda, NY, researching interaction of gases and solids with liquids for industrial applications.
Son Andrew was born in November 1958, followed by Christopher in December 1960, Vincent in December of 1962, and Patrick in February 1964.
By 1965, Tim was a Senior Research Chemist and in 1967, Research Supervisor for Solid State Chemistry. A transfer resulted in a move to NJ in 1969, and then a return move to Amherst, NY in 1979. During his over 45-year career with Linde and then Praxair, he co-authored at least six technical papers and was an inventor on nine patents between 1971 and 2003.
Tim and Joan were active in St. Gregory the Great Church in Williamsville, NY, where she coordinated liturgical music and he became a cantor. He became known for his tradition of leading the congregation in a dramatic musical performance of the Israelites “Horse and Chariot” song from Exodus for the Easter Vigil Mass.
Joan and Tim celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in 2002. Joan died in 2005, and Tim was subsequently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He made a lasting impression on the staff at Schervier Pavilion in Warwick, NY for his cheerful politeness, snappy conversation and his quiet determination to keep moving forward. He decorated his room with paintings his father had made of the wilderness around his childhood home in western Pennsylvania and photos of his family.
Tim is survived by his children: Catherine Mullhaupt, J.D.; Dr. Andrew Mullhaupt and his wife, Susan, and son Rufus; Christopher Mullhaupt and his wife, Zoe, and their children Joseph, Glen and Lindy; Vincent Mullhaupt and sons Timothy and Matthew; and Patrick Mullhaupt and his wife Ruth and son Andrew; and his nephew James Mullhaupt.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick, NY. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Stephen RC Church, 75 Sanfordville Road, Warwick on Wednesday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. Interment immediately following at St. Stephen’s Cemetery, Warwick.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Catholic Near East Welfare Association, 1011 First Avenue - #15, New York, NY 10022.
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