John Ernest Mulhauser

Now he knows the answer to the unanswered question.

John Mulhauser died peacefully in his sleep early in the morning of June 7. He was born in Cleveland on October 15, 1932, to Mary and Henry Mulhauser and grew up in East Cleveland with his older brother William. After graduating from Shaw High School, he worked as a groundskeeper at GE Nela Park until he was drafted into the Army in 1953. He used to joke that the North Koreans heard he was coming and decided to end hostilities. He completed his service as 4th alto saxophone in the 3rd Army Band at Ft. McPherson, Georgia.

After his honorable discharge, he attended Syracuse University for a year then completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in geography at Kent State University. It was at this time he met his perfect match, Nancy Cooper. They were married in 1961 and remained together for 60 years until Nancy's death in 2021. They moved to Pittsburgh where Jack continued his education. While in Pittsburgh he was hired by Edinboro State University, a position he assumed almost simultaneously with the birth of his son Robert and continued until about a year after the birth of his second son Kurt. In 1965 he was hired as one of the first faculty in the Department of Geography at Akron University where he worked as a professor until he retired in 1993.

Jack was a loving and devoted husband and a loving father. His patience and equanimity were a model for his whole family. He rarely raised his voice and almost never lost his temper in spite of adolescent outbursts or unexpected turns of events. It was impossible to imagine Jack and Nancy apart from each other and their stable loving relationship was an example and inspiration.

Apart from his profession, Jack did a variety of volunteer activities. He was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra chorus in the 1950s and was particularly proud of a performance of Verdi's Requiem under George Szell. In the 1980s he sang in the Akron Symphony Chorus for several years. He also put his geographical skills to good use working for AAA and as a volunteer Tract Trekker for the National Park Service. The Friends of the Taylor Library could always count on his strong back when they set up their annual book sale.

Travel was a vital part of his life – from family road trip vacations with the station wagon and a tent trailer to extensive travel throughout Europe and far flung locations like the Pyramids in Egypt and the Great Wall of China, Nancy and Jack saw it all. They especially loved the experiences they had and the friends they made on tours with Rick Steves but were just as happy “museum-ing” in Cleveland, hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley and laughing and talking with their beloved lifelong friends.

Jack is survived by his sons Robert and Kurt and daughters-in-law Sara and Melissa. We would like to thank his friends and the skilled nursing unit at Concordia at Sumner for the care and attention Jack received over the last couple of years and Ohio Living Hospice for the regular updates and end-of-life care. Please consider making a donation in Jack's name to the National Park Service, the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Akron Metro Parks or a Parkinson's research organization.

To share a memory, send a condolence, or light a candle, visit the Tribute Wall at www.billowfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/ (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)