Daniel John Mullen

Dan was born December 25, 1953 in Erie, Pennsylvania to Dorothy (Plichta) Mullen and John P. Mullen. Dan moved with his family to Peabody, Massachusetts at the age of five, where he graduated from St. John’s Preparatory High School. He graduated cum laude in 1975 from Georgetown University, where he was also a member of the baseball team. In 1978, he received his J.D. from Villanova University School of Law, where he was a member of the Honor Board and President of the Student Bar Association.

Dan was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1979. He served as Chief of Staff, Chief of the Civil Bureau, and Director of the Federal Litigation Unit in the N.H. Attorney General’s Office for more than 25 years. He represented officials and employees of over 100 state agencies in both Federal and State Courts. In 2006, Dan joined the firm of Ransmeier & Spellman as a director and shareholder and served on the executive committee for many years. In private practice, he represented municipalities in litigation and appeals focusing on administrative and municipal law and on employment and labor law. Dan was admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals 1st, 4th, and 10th Circuits, and the U.S. District Court of New Hampshire.

Dan’s greatest joy was his family. It was in Concord that Dan met his wife, Michelle. They married in 1986 and settled in Bow and later in Concord. Together, they raised five children. He was a proud parent and grandparent, and modeled steadfast integrity, respect, charity, and humility for Michelle and their children. Dan was an engaged and loving grandfather, delighting in his three beautiful grandchildren and watching them play and grow. Dan was involved in community youth and high school sports, and was an avid golfer, often found on the greens of Concord Country Club. He was a lover of sports, especially the Boston Red Sox, but his favorite teams were the high school and college teams of his children. He seldom missed a game, traveling throughout New England and beyond to watch them play.

In work and in his personal life, Dan was a champion for everything good and right. He was a kind person who quietly impacted the lives of many. Dan was fortunate and so thankful to receive countless cards, notes, and visits over the past weeks, a true testament to and celebration of his legacy - a life of unwavering faith, uncompromising character, and unconditional kindness. His family will cherish these memoirs and memories in the days and years to come.

Dan is predeceased by his parents, Dorothy (Plichta) Mullen and John P. Mullen. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Michelle (Cormier) Mullen; their children, Allison Mullen Metz and her husband, Christian; Thomas Mullen; Jack Mullen and his wife, Lindsay; Erin Mullen and her fiancé, Evan Devanny; and Annie Mullen; his sisters, Kathleen Alosso and her husband, John and Patricia Wheaton and her husband, Mark. In the years since his diagnosis, he was blessed with three grandchildren, Cora and Owen Metz, and Everett Daniel Mullen. He will always be remembered by numerous extended family members, including nieces and nephews, and many colleagues and dear friends, whose lives were enriched by him in so many ways.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 8 at 3:00 PM at Christ the King Parish/St. John’s, 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH, followed by a burial at Blossom Hill Cemetery. After the burial, the family will be hosting a reception in celebration of Dan’s life at his home, 231 North Main Street, Concord NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Daniel J. Mullen to Payson Center for Cancer Care, giveto.concordhospital.org or Granite VNA Hospice Program, granitevna.org.