Paul Kenneth Mullins
July 19, 1935 – July 27, 2021
Paul left his earthly home of 50 years on “Mullins Wooded Acres” in Balm, Fla., to live eternally with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 27, 2021. Paul was born in Pike County, Ky. He was the ninth of the 14 children who were born to Margaret “Maggie” Mae Mullins and Hatler May Mullins.
Paul met Jesus face-to-face less than 90 minutes after Carolyn, his beloved bride of nearly 65 years. He had not been told that she was already with the Lord. He woke up and was with her in Heaven, where they are present with the Lord, healed and rejoicing with the loved ones who awaited them.
Paul is survived by his daughters, Tina Lynn (Ron) Ruth and Saundra Beth (Dale) Jones; a son of his heart, Robert Wayne (Janice) Spitler; and a son in the Lord, Johnny (CC) Honaker. He is also survived by his grandchildren, LaDonna (Mike) York and Lisa Mullins; Joshua (Siobhan) Ruth, Jeremiah (Courtney) Ruth, Hannah Ruth, and Josiah Ruth; Kendra (Eli) Emerson, Kaden Jones and Addie Jones; Ashton Spitler and Ryan (Candie) Luddington. He is survived by his great-grandchildren, Cody Stilwell and Tori Mullins; Gabriel, Elijah, Benjamin, Bethany, Titus, Aaliyah, Selah, Claire and Elizabeth Ruth and Zelda Middleton; Abriella and Piper Emerson; and Hunter and Dakota Luddington. He is survived by his sisters Betty Cassady and Dotty Looney, both of Ypsilanti, Michigan; by his brothers, Ivan Mullins and Frank Mullins of Hillsborough County, Fla.; and by his brother, Morris Mullins of Belleville, Mich.
Paul was predeceased by his sons, Kenneth Dale Mullins I and Mark Randal Mullins, and by his grandsons, Nathan Paul Mullins, Kenneth Dale Mullins II and Jason Aaron Luddington. He was also predeceased by his parents, Maggie Mae and Hatler May Mullins; his sisters, Ruby Wilhelm, Ethel Mayse, Ada Jenks and Flora Mullins; and by his brothers, Raymond, Bennett, Leroy and Hatler Mullins.
Paul spent his early years in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky with his family. As a preschool-aged child, Paul looked forward to his visits to the country store. He knew that when he arrived there, the owner would lift him onto the counter and ask him to talk about the bears he had seen. He was rewarded with a Moonpie and an RC Cola for these elaborate stories. He and his siblings worked hard on the farm but shared many childhood adventures. During Paul’s childhood, he and his brother Frank savored the times they were able to fish together. Paul valued all of their animals but especially prized the family mule, which he enjoyed riding.
Paul’s father went to Heaven when Paul was 13 years old. At the age of 15, Paul moved to Michigan to gain employment and to join forces with his recently widowed sister Ruby to keep things going at her home. They were a team. Paul worked full-time and was able to buy a used car. Once he rebuilt the engine, the car was an asset to Paul and the family. Prior to his move to Michigan, Paul had been the captain of his high school basketball team. He remained interested in watching basketball games throughout his life. He took special delight in watching his grandsons play basketball and other sports and enjoyed watching his granddaughters compete in athletics.
Paul decided to become a Marine at the age of 17. Since the government required his mother to sign for him to enlist at that age, she did. He felt blessed to be an American and was always proud to have served the country as a United States Marine.
In the mid-1950s, when Paul returned home from traveling the world as a Marine, he started a band with his brother Frank, his sisters, Betty and Dotty, and a few friends. His band played at venues in the United States and Canada. Though they played music of various genres, many of the songs they performed were songs that were made famous by the one many called “the king.” People who witnessed the performances have said that Paul was quite the entertainer. He dressed like and had several moves of the one who sang “Blue Suede Shoes.”
While outside one day, Paul spotted Carolyn walking down the road and said to one of his relatives, “Who is that?” He had no idea that a little girl in a tree had “known” that she was going to marry him five years earlier! They were engaged within months of their first date and then they were married. The rest is history. They began singing together while dating and did so throughout their marriage.
Paul was a nurturing, vested, affectionate and present father. Carolyn and his children called Paul “Superman” because they knew that he could and would do things that seemed impossible. He was a great source of security for them. Paul and Carolyn supported their children’s interests through encouragement and attendance. Paul taught his children how to become independent, have a strong work ethic, work with the public and generate an income. He motivated his children to stretch themselves beyond their comfort zones, led by example and was very “hands on.” Paul and Carolyn taught their children from God’s Word. They put emphasis on having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul took great joy in making family memories. He and Carolyn both had a strong sense of family and modeled dedication to family. In fact, Carolyn’s family members and Paul’s family members met and became great friends while he was in the Marines. Betty, Paul’s sister, and Carolyn became lifelong best friends. In the years that followed, their families became so close that many people did not know which relatives belonged to which side of the family! Paul and Carolyn’s mothers loved each other from the time they met.
Paul was a lifelong entrepreneur. He and Carolyn purchased their first convenient grocery store in Michigan at the ages of 24 and 20. He went to butcher school so that he could sell great cuts of meat at his meat counter, and she ran the register while caring for baby Tina and, soon after, baby Kenny. They built several businesses and had many business adventures through the years. Two of their businesses that spanned decades were the lawn and landscape business and the tree trimming and removal business. They stopped running the last of their businesses (renting homes), at the ages of 83 and near 80, but they never retired.
Florida was Paul’s dream state. He and Carolyn appreciated Florida’s blue skies, the ocean and the warm climate. Paul relished fishing from boats, picnics and barbequing for the family. He was an amazing chef in the Marines and throughout his life. Carolyn found ocean views to be magnificent and basking in the sunshine to be relaxing.
Paul’s love for nature and the beauty in all of God’s creation was contagious. He shared the joy he found in fishing, his fascination with birds and animals of all kinds, the value of having a dog as a companion, the thrill of horseback riding, his love for gardening (vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants), the fulfillment he felt raising farm animals, the satisfaction he found in caring for and beautifying trees of all types, and landscaping with his children and his grandchildren. He was “all in,” present in the moment and had a way of including Carolyn and his children in just about every adventure he had.
Paul grew up in a musical family and music remained an integral part of his life. He played the guitar and sang solos in many churches. Paul continued to play the guitar until he was in his early 80s and sang throughout his life. He delighted in listening to and singing with Carolyn and his children. He and Carolyn found much joy in hearing their grandchildren sing and play instruments. They were glad to hear their relatives sing, and both of them were thrilled to sing with their siblings.
Paul and Carolyn were amazing dancers. They slow-danced at home with each other throughout their marriage. Their dips, turns and twirls were among the moves their children and grands enjoyed most. What made their dances precious and priceless is the fact that their dance was a lifelong dance.
Paul loved celebrating Resurrection Sunday, Thanksgiving and, especially, Christmas. He and Carolyn cooked for many hours to create feasts that were fit for kings on these holidays. Anyone who wanted to come to the celebrations was welcomed. Christmas was paramount in the Mullins home. Paul went to great lengths to make sure that he and Carolyn could make every possible memory with their family as they celebrated the birth of Jesus throughout the season. The singing, decorating, baking, visiting, Christmas TV-Specials watching, eating, laughing, picture taking, light viewing, skit creating and hugging went on as long as possible.
Paul planted and pastored two churches in Florida. One of these church buildings was largely his design. He physically helped build it during every phase of the building. Paul and Carolyn’s vision for Sunday School was brought to fruition through the loving ministry of Ed and Edith Burke. In the 1980s, Paul facilitated people’s access to a fully staffed Bible school, by providing one via live satellite at the church. He and Carolyn started a youth ministry in their home and provided supper for all who came each week. They were blessed to provide food for people in the community and support missionaries throughout the world. Paul started a Christian preschool, had a prison ministry, preached in many states and multiple countries. In Brandon, Florida, he conducted classes using the Evangelistic Explosion Worldwide tools to teach others how to share the Gospel. Paul was so deeply moved by what he experienced when he and Carolyn went to the Holy Land, that he became a Holy Land tour group leader. Paul’s passion was to see lives transformed for the glory of God and for the building of God’s Kingdom. He loved sharing the love, grace and mercy of Jesus with family, friends and strangers.
Carolyn Dian Mullins
December 16, 1938 – July 27, 2021
Carolyn made her earthly home on “Mullins Wooded Acres” in Balm, Fla., for the last 50 years, and everywhere else that Paul made his home for almost 65 years. She left here on July 27, 2021, to live eternally with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Carolyn was born in Detroit, Mich. She was the daughter of Laura Eunice Lewis Smith and Melvern Rolston Smith.
Carolyn called Paul the “love of her life.” She met Jesus face-to-face less than 90 minutes before Paul did. She and Paul are present with the Lord, healed and rejoicing in Heaven together with all of their loved ones who arrived there before them.
Carolyn is survived by her daughters, Tina Lynn (Ron) Ruth and Saundra Beth (Dale) Jones, and a son of her heart, Robert Wayne (Janice) Spitler. She is also survived by her grandchildren, LaDonna (Mike) York and Lisa Mullins; Joshua (Siobhan) Ruth, Jeremiah (Courtney) Ruth, Hannah Ruth and Josiah Ruth; Kendra (Eli) Emerson, Kaden Jones and Addie Jones; Ashton Spitler and Ryan (Candie) Luddington. She is survived by her great-grandchildren, Cody Stilwell and Tori Mullins; Gabriel, Elijah, Benjamin, Bethany, Titus, Aaliyah, Selah, Claire and Elizabeth Ruth, and Zelda Middleton; Abriella and Piper Emerson; and Hunter and Dakota Luddington. She is survived by her brothers, David Smith Sr. of Hillsborough County, Florida, Douglas “Hank” Smith of South Lyon, Michigan, and many beloved family members.
Carolyn was predeceased by her sons Kenneth Dale Mullins I and Mark Randal Mullins, and by her grandsons, Nathan Paul Mullins, Kenneth Dale Mullins II and Jason Aaron Luddington. She was also predeceased by her parents Laura Eunice Lewis Smith and Melvern Rolston Smith; by her sisters, Kathleen Spitler and Shirley Conner; and by her brothers, James “Jimmy” Smith, Ray Smith and Bruce Smith.
Carolyn spent most of her childhood in Wayne, Mich. She loved to read, enjoyed school and sang solo in the school play. Carolyn enjoyed nature and took pleasure in climbing trees. It was when she was 12 years old, while she was up in a tree, that she first saw Paul walking down the road. On that very day, she said to herself, “I’m going to marry him some day!” Carolyn enjoyed playing sports and games, especially baseball, with her brothers and neighbors. She took delight in ice skating and swimming. Self-taught, she was a natural at both sports and continued to perfect her graceful style, spins and swimming strokes throughout her youth. She learned a lot from watching Sonja Henie and Esther Williams. Carolyn was fascinated with horses and found riding them to be thrilling.
Carolyn spent one of her high school years in Tampa, Fla. with her “Aunt Elphie,” Uncle Jerry and cousin Toni. She attended Hillsborough Highschool. Carolyn played softball while there. Her over-the-fence home run hit was recorded by the Tampa Tribune. While in Florida, she sang in front of an audience of thousands at the Wimauma Church of God Tabernacle, and she also sang on the radio. Singing was like breathing for Carolyn’s family. From childhood, Carolyn and her sister Kathy enjoyed harmonizing with each other and did so beautifully for decades.
Carolyn was walking down the road and though she didn’t yet know it, Paul had spotted her and had asked one of his relatives who she was. He had no idea that Carolyn had “known” she was going to marry him five years earlier as a 12-year-old little girl. They were engaged within months of their first date, and then they were married. The rest is history. They began singing together while dating and did so throughout their marriage.
Carolyn’s children called her “The Treasure.” She was completely devoted to her husband and her children. She loved unconditionally and with total abandon. Caring for her children well took precedence over all of Carolyn’s other aspirations. She was a nurturing, protective mother, and she was wise beyond her years. She was accepting, patient, assuring, present, a good listener, a source of comfort and security, and seemed to always know what truly mattered most. She cherished the relationship that she shared with each of her children, grandchildren and those she had with other family members. She viewed her children and all children as precious gifts. She knew that relationships are paramount and that one’s relationship with Jesus is of the greatest importance. She loved to tell of the saving grace and mercy of Jesus. Carolyn and Paul raised three families after their children were grown. Many other children and teens found comfort, acceptance, refuge and love at their home.
From her home office, Carolyn spent five decades acting as the customer service department and the bookkeeper, and she filled several other roles for all of the businesses that Paul ran. In her later years, she was honored to serve as a caregiver for an elderly woman for a couple of years.
Carolyn was a classy lady who had a flare for fashion and décor. She was genuine, sentimental, discerning and a deep thinker. She treasured pictures of loved ones and cherished every card, letter or recording that loved ones gave her. Carolyn was a voracious reader and was still studying subjects that were new to her, even days before she left here. She was a writer. She composed poems, songs and affirming letters to her loved ones. Carolyn found trees, flowers and birds particularly beautiful. She enjoyed her beautiful flower gardens. She was especially delighted by the breath-taking beauty that the giant lilac trees and bushes provided as they draped over the roof and hung over the windows of their first house. The “perfume” from those lilacs in Michigan was heavenly and brought Carolyn much joy. She had a life-long appreciation for old movies, classic movies, “cowboy” movies and movies that were about true events. She visited several countries during her life, including Canada (where her father was born), Greece, Egypt and the countries that comprise the Holy Land.
Carolyn had a beautiful singing voice and ministered in music throughout her adult life. She enjoyed singing at home, while accompanying herself with the acoustic guitar. She taught the children in Sunday School for years, and then she taught the teenagers’ Sunday School class. Carolyn was asked to speak at banquets, retreats and seminars. She and Paul had weekly youth meetings in their home and provided supper for all who came. She assisted Paul in the ministries God called him to. She did the clerical work for the churches that Paul pastored and, often, the cleaning as well. It was her delight to praise Jesus through music, and she was thrilled to talk about Heaven.
In their later years, Carolyn and Paul continued to be delighted by family visits and hearing the latest updates concerning each grandchild. They were thrilled with the births and milestones of each great-grandchild. They encouraged all of the generations. Their opinions were valued, as they had much wisdom to impart. One month before they arrived in Heaven, Carolyn and Paul each spoke about their lifelong love for each other. Carolyn spoke of how she and Paul were looking forward to Heaven, how this life is very temporary and how eternity in Heaven is where real life begins. Paul reiterated that they were looking forward to Heaven. He further stated that if we believe in Jesus (accept Him as our Savior), we can know that we will be going to Heaven when we leave here. Paul and Carolyn knew they were going to Heaven one day and are now present with the Lord.
A Celebration of the lives of Paul Kenneth Mullins and Carolyn Dian Mullins was held at their church, River of Life Christian Center (now called Reach City Church), in Riverview, Florida, on Aug. 21, 2021, at 11 a.m. Their beloved pastor, Johnny Honaker, presided over the services and preached. A graveside service with military honors took place at the Ruskin Cemetery in Ruskin, Florida, at 2:15 p.m. A celebration dinner was held at the River Bend Clubhouse in Ruskin, Fla., at 3 p.m.
Donald John Goodwin
Donald “Dan” Goodwin, 93, of Sun City Center, passed on July 22 at Lifepath Hospice. He was born in Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada, to Calvin R. and Lena (Baer) Goodwin on April 28, 1929. He is survived by his wife of 70 Years, Anne (Tessier) Goodwin; daughters, LeeAnne (Ken) Eckert, Ellen (Dan) Owen, Dawn (Ron Heppler) Goodwin, Christine (Paul) Von Zwehl and Kelley (James Kane) Goodwin-Kane; and 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Carol Ferber.
The family would like to thank Lifepath Hospice and the Sun City Center Emergency Squad for their excellent care. Please consider a donation in Dan’s memory to Lifepath Hospice, 3723 Upper Creek Road, Ruskin, FL 33573 or the Sun City Center Emergency Squad, 120 Ray Watson Drive, Sun City Center, FL 33573.
A private service will be held for the family. Arrangements by National Cremation www.NationalCremation.com/.
Michael A. Hughes
Michael Arthur Hughes, 75, of Sun City Center passed away on July 23, 2022. Michael was born in Minneapolis, Minn., on Oct. 2, 1946. He proudly served in the United States military and was a fighter pilot trainer and SIM Tech for many years.
Michael is survived by his loving wife, Jean Marie Hughes; children, Brain and Chad; stepchildren, Michael, Greg, Michele Rodgers of Ohio; five grandchildren; sister, July, and her husband, Dave Olson, of Pennsylvania; and a host of other family and friends.
Private burial at Skyway Memorial Cemetery in Palmetto. Online condolences at Skywaymemorial.com/.
William James Morahan Jr
William James Morahan Jr. of Sun City Center, Florida, passed away Thursday, July 28th, 2022, at the age of 79. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and resided in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Bill worked most of his years in the beverage industry and retired from Coca Cola Bottling after 40 years.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife Marilyn of 45 years.
He is survived by his sister, Peggy Morahan, and three children, Kelly (Michael) Haas, Colleen (Joe) Pierce and Michael (Teril) Morahan. He was the proud grandfather of Erin Morahan, Tyler and Hailey Pierce. He was a loving, generous father and trusted friend.
He will be dearly missed and in our hearts forever.
