Morell Eugene Mullins

Morell E. “Gene” Mullins, 82, of North Little Rock, died January 7, 2024, He was born April 30, 1941, to Morell and Mary Mullins in Kentucky. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Jones Mullins; sons Morrie (Christy) Mullins of Loveland, Ohio, and Jeff (Michelle) Mullins of Fayetteville, Arkansas,  daughter Carol (Valerie) of Seattle, Washington, and granddaughters Devon Mullins and Maddie Mullins of Fayetteville.  

Gene loved his family, words, the law, and dogs. He was a long-time volunteer with Pulaski County Humane Society, helping with many dog washes, taking dogs to KARK for the early morning "Pet of the Week spot, plus pulling together an annual CLE program on Animal Law as a benefit to HSPC.

Gene grew up in Kentucky and received his bachelors in English from University of Kentucky, went to the University of Chicago for his masters in English, then got a job in VD control – because that’s what was available. He moved back to Kentucky to hold down his dad’s job as a motion picture projectionist while his dad recovered from surgery, then returned to UK for law school.  As an attorney, he joined the Navy to see the world with Navy JAG, and was stationed in Memphis and in Brunswick, Georgia.  

Gene and Barbara met while he was stationed in Georgia, fell in love over a pile of books from the 1800s that Barbara got at an estate sale. They lived about 65 miles of bad roads apart – and decided the dangers of the highway were reason enough to go ahead and marry instead of waiting a reasonable time. Ten weeks from the day they met, they took their vows in the chapel on base. Gene left active duty a few months later and they moved to Nashville, where he worked for the Labor Department, then transferred to Labor’s DC offices to work in legislative drafting, and later, after drafting the legislation that moved mine safety from another department  to the Labor Department, he became Associate Solicitor for Mine Safety and Health. He always wanted to teach law (and to write fiction) and when he was offered a position at the UALR Law School in 1980, the family of 4 moved to North Little Rock and added a daughter to the family. Gene loved his children and delighted in reading books to them from infancy onward, and was sure, when the granddaughters came along, that they were the best ever.

He has been Grandpa, Dad, Sweetheart, Professor Mullins, Gene, and the Navy knows him as CDR Morell E Mullins, USNR.