Clifton former recreation director and teacher Thomas Mullin dies. Some call him the GOAT.

Yahoo

18-03-2025

For New England, Tom Brady is the GOAT. For Edmonton, it's Wayne Gretzky. For many in Clifton, it's Thomas Mullin.
Though nowhere nearly as recognizable as Brady or Gretzky, Mullin, 82, who died last Thursday, left a lasting impact on the people of Clifton.
"He's the greatest of all time" Clifton Recreation Director Debbie Oliver said Monday after returning from Mullin's funeral. "There's never been one before Tom. There's never been one after."
Mullin's greatest contributions, she said, were decency, integrity and reliability, which in Mullin's case were not measured in days or years but in decades. He served as a recreation commissioner for 50 years, and to her knowledge, Tom and his wife, Joan, never missed a fishing derby, and they were mainstays of a host of other events.
"Tom is one the most dedicated, compassionate, honest, dependable people I have had the pleasure of having in my life," Oliver said during the dedication of the Thomas Mullin Playground in Washington Park last June.
Mullin moved from Paterson to Clifton's Washington Avenue with his family in 1953. He lived there for 72 years. Although he and his wife had no children, he left a legacy by affecting the lives of hundreds over the years.
He received a bachelor of arts degree from St. Peter's University and a master of arts from Fordham University and joined the Clifton High School staff as a French teacher in 1968.
For 32 years, Mullin taught foreign languages, French, English and Russian, at Clifton High School before retiring as the department head in 2000.
Beginning in 1970, Mullin taught English as a second language at Clifton's night school. His students say he had a profound influence on their lives.
'My friend Zosia and I had just arrived in the US and enrolled in Mullin's ESL course," Irene Andruch recalled in a 2016 article published in the Clifton Merchant magazine. "He was an excellent teacher with a great sense of humor ... He was very welcoming and spoke to us in Polish, which made me feel very comfortable."
Andruch's son Ihor said Mullin played a crucial role in his development, too. Ihor's father died when he was 7, and he often was without direction.
"He was incredible," Ihor said of Mullin, who he said served as a mentor during his high school years. "When you are lost, you don't know what to do. He put me on the right path."
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After 50 years as a recreation commissioner, Mullin stepped down about a year ago.
Over that time he taught both adults and kids, established Youth Week, and did much to raise the profile of the Clifton Education Foundation. In 2001, he received the Clifton Friend of the Recreation Board award, and, in 2018, the City Council recognized him for his many years of service, as did the late Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. last June.
As a member of the St. Philip the Apostle Knights of Columbus, he was also on the Knights of Columbus Scholarship Committee in support of the Msgr. Peter Doody Scholarship Fund. He received a special appreciation award in 2015 for his many contributions.
Mullin taught an AARP Safe Driving Course for 10 years and methodology classes for the United States Power Squadrons. Until recently, he was involved in the Vessel Safety Inspection program in conjunction with the United States Coast Guard.
Mullin is survived by his wife, Joan, as well as family members, friends and the many students whose lives he touched throughout his career. His peers say he will be remembered as a champion of education and civic responsibility and remained active until his death.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Clifton Education Foundation, P.O. Box 2071, Clifton, NJ 07015 cliftoneducationfoundation.org or the Msgr. Peter Doody Scholarship Fund, c/o St. Philip Knights of Columbus, 797 Valley Road, Clifton, NJ 07013.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton NJ ex-recreation director and teacher Thomas Mullin dies