Charles Gordon Mullen Jr.

Charles Gordon Mullen Jr., a lifelong resident of Tampa, Florida, passed away peacefully on June 3, 2025, at the age of 104 years and 9 months. Born to Virginia Louise Hopkins and Charles Gordon Mullen, Charles lived a life rooted in faith, family, service, and craftsmanship.

A lifetime member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Charles was baptized there in 1920 and remained deeply devoted to the parish throughout his life, serving on the vestry. He was educated in Tampa’s local schools, including Helen Hill, The Academy of the Holy Names, Mitchell, Wilson, and Plant, and later attended Sewanee Military Academy before enrolling at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he was a proud member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

On Valentine’s Day 1942, he married his junior high school sweetheart, Virginia Ann Lee. Their marriage spanned 79 years until Virginia’s passing in 2021.

During World War II, Charles honorably served in the United States Army, stationed in Guam and the Caroline Islands of the Pacific, and continued his service in the Army Reserves following the war. Returning home, he became an active member of the Tampa community, joining the Tampa Yacht and Country Club, the Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, The University Club, The Merrymaker’s Club, The St. Andrew’s Society, The Lion’s Club, the Woodworker’s Guild, and numerous other civic associations.

Charles was also a devoted “Chip” in The Chiselers, Inc., an organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic Tampa Bay Hotel, now The University of Tampa. His commitment to the stewardship of Tampa’s architectural history was one of the many ways he gave back to the city he loved. He was born in a clinic on the grounds of The Tampa Bay Hotel.

Professionally, Charles was president of The Florida Grower Press, a printing and publishing company that his father started, and later served as Vice President of Sales of Hillsborough Printing Company. In his later years, he channeled his creative energies into woodworking and the arts. A master woodworker, he crafted exquisite furniture and earned several “First Place” awards at the Florida State Fair. He was also an accomplished watercolor and oil artist, leaving behind many works of art that reflect his keen eye and steady hand.

Charles was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Harris H. Mullen. He is survived by his three beloved children: Charles Gordon Mullen III (The Villages), Lindell Dye (Tampa), and Anne Kutchmire (Tampa); seven grandchildren: Erinn Mullen Oliver, Charles Mullen IV, Thomas Dye, Leeanna Smalley, Caroline Gubbini, Stephen Dye, and William Dye; sixteen great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

His long life was marked by devotion—to his family, his country, his community, and his many talents. He will be remembered for his quiet strength, his enduring love, quick wit, and the legacy he built over more than a century.

A service celebrating his life, followed by a reception, will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 509 E Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, at 10am on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The family will then have a private interment at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park, 4202 E Lake Ave, Tampa, FL 33610, at 2:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Charles’ memory may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Tampa; The Chiselers, Inc.; or a charity of your choice.