Joseph Mutschlecner

Joseph Paul Mutschlecner passed peacefully at his home under the care of Hospice with family by his side in Los Alamos, Saturday, March 16th.  He is survived by his wife Alice, and his children David, Timothy (Sarah), and Celia, (Mark), as well as grandchildren: Audrey, (Zachary), Megan, (Parker), Elliott, Mathew, (Caitlin), Anna, (Andrew), Kevin, (Sonny), Robyne, (Chris), and nine great-grandchildren.

Paul was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the son of Henry and Aurelia Mutschlecner, and had one sibling, Audrey.  His father, who worked at General Electric, inspired his passion for astronomy by building a substantial telescope by hand, even grinding the lenses himself. 

During his education at Indiana University, he was recruited and joined the Marine Corps Reserves. It was during his studies at I.U. that he met his life mate, Alice, who was a freshman music major studying violin, marrying in 1955.  After receiving his doctorate at the University of Michigan and working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Paul accepted a faculty position in the Astronomy Department at Indiana University, where he would teach for fourteen years. 

Paul returned to research in 1981, moving back to Los Alamos to work for the LANL in a wide variety of areas including atmospheric studies and applications of infrasound science.  He was active in the community as a member of the United Church of Los Alamos, and as a board member of the Arts Center and the Los Alamos Public Library.

Paul was a devoted ‘patriarch’, loving his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren dearly, and passing on his love of science, the outdoors, literature, and a great sense of humor.  His interests included painting, musicals, art appreciation, genealogy, and travel.

A memorial service for Paul will take place Friday, June 28 at 11 am at Los Alamos United Church.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Home Instead, Hospice of Los Alamos, and doctors Linnebur and Mesibov. The family thanks the community for all your love prayers and support during this time.  Memorial donations may be given to the International Rescue Committee, or the UN Refugee Center.

Please leave messages of condolence, stories, or photos of Paul here for his family to treasure.