Obituary for John Peter Mulligan
John Peter Mulligan passed away peacefully from CoVid-19 related complications on March 18, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was born on February 22, 1960 to loving parents Maria Pesaresi Mulligan and John F. Mulligan of Lake Village, Arkansas. John Peter attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and Lakeside High School in Lake Village, graduating in 1978. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.
Growing up in Lake Village, John Peter loved the outdoors; he played sports, collected bees, romped with the family’s dogs, and made mischief. He was a highly competitive and fiercely intelligent child, fascinated with electricity, chess and bridge. An industrious teenager, he worked at the Sunflower Food Store, for Paul Fisher at the County Courthouse, and for Scott Dabney in his civil engineering and surveying firm. Together with his younger brother Patrick and many of their childhood friends, John Peter made extra money by dredging the water holes at the Lake Village Country Club for golf balls in the summer, and by picking pecans to sell for 10 cents a pound in the fall.
Throughout his life, John Peter was a great lover of music and a particularly devoted fan of Merle Haggard, George Jones and Randy Travis. He was an avid coin collector and he loved great food, especially the delicious Italian dishes, fried chicken and catfish prepared by his beloved mother. John Peter had a great sense of humor and a quick wit, and he loved to mimic famous people. Passionate about learning, he listened to all “The Great Courses” and was recognized by the company as one of their most faithful customers. He enjoyed Lake Chicot, bird-watching, and visiting on the phone with family and friends, but his happiest moments were spent cheering for the Razorbacks with his family while enjoying chips and dips.
During most of his adult life, John Peter fought a brave and heroic battle with bipolar illness. Despite the challenges of that illness, he gave and received an abundance of love from his adoring family and many friends.
John Peter was preceded in death by his father, his younger brother, Patrick James Mulligan, many cherished uncles and aunts, and his “cuz” and fishing buddy, Roy Michael Howsen. He lovingly looked after both his parents as they aged, for which his siblings were deeply grateful, and he was a tremendous comfort to his mother during his father’s final illness. His large extended family was always of great importance to John Peter. He was deeply proud of their accomplishments, and he was comforted by their presence in his own final days. He was a faithful member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church for most of his life.
John Peter will be remembered and loved forever by his mother and his sister Mary Elizabeth Mulligan of New York, New York. He is also survived by sister-in-law Tami Webb Mulligan, nieces Madison Mulligan Childress (husband Ford) and Caroline Mulligan, and nephews Webb Mulligan and Crawford Mulligan, all of Dallas, Texas; former brother-in-law Ray Bacon of Franklin, Tennessee; aunts Vera Pesaresi of Lake Village and Marian Mulligan of St. Joseph, Louisiana; and many wonderful cousins and their beautiful families in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The family extends its deepest gratitude to cousins Jo Anne and Eddy Bush for their extraordinary devotion to John Peter, especially during the pandemic. The family also thanks Teresa Mondragon, Cheryl Davies, Jean Revels and Patricia Bell for the wonderful care they provided to John Peter over the years.
A funeral mass for John Peter will be held at 10:00 A.M on April 15 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with burial at the St. Isidore Cemetery in Lake Village with Father Stephen Hart presiding.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Lake Village Food Pantry, 311 Jackson Street, Lake Village, Arkansas 71653. Arrangements by Griffin-Culpepper Funeral Service of Lake Village, AR. Online guest book may be signed at www.griffinculpepper.com
Growing up in Lake Village, John Peter loved the outdoors; he played sports, collected bees, romped with the family’s dogs, and made mischief. He was a highly competitive and fiercely intelligent child, fascinated with electricity, chess and bridge. An industrious teenager, he worked at the Sunflower Food Store, for Paul Fisher at the County Courthouse, and for Scott Dabney in his civil engineering and surveying firm. Together with his younger brother Patrick and many of their childhood friends, John Peter made extra money by dredging the water holes at the Lake Village Country Club for golf balls in the summer, and by picking pecans to sell for 10 cents a pound in the fall.
Throughout his life, John Peter was a great lover of music and a particularly devoted fan of Merle Haggard, George Jones and Randy Travis. He was an avid coin collector and he loved great food, especially the delicious Italian dishes, fried chicken and catfish prepared by his beloved mother. John Peter had a great sense of humor and a quick wit, and he loved to mimic famous people. Passionate about learning, he listened to all “The Great Courses” and was recognized by the company as one of their most faithful customers. He enjoyed Lake Chicot, bird-watching, and visiting on the phone with family and friends, but his happiest moments were spent cheering for the Razorbacks with his family while enjoying chips and dips.
During most of his adult life, John Peter fought a brave and heroic battle with bipolar illness. Despite the challenges of that illness, he gave and received an abundance of love from his adoring family and many friends.
John Peter was preceded in death by his father, his younger brother, Patrick James Mulligan, many cherished uncles and aunts, and his “cuz” and fishing buddy, Roy Michael Howsen. He lovingly looked after both his parents as they aged, for which his siblings were deeply grateful, and he was a tremendous comfort to his mother during his father’s final illness. His large extended family was always of great importance to John Peter. He was deeply proud of their accomplishments, and he was comforted by their presence in his own final days. He was a faithful member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church for most of his life.
John Peter will be remembered and loved forever by his mother and his sister Mary Elizabeth Mulligan of New York, New York. He is also survived by sister-in-law Tami Webb Mulligan, nieces Madison Mulligan Childress (husband Ford) and Caroline Mulligan, and nephews Webb Mulligan and Crawford Mulligan, all of Dallas, Texas; former brother-in-law Ray Bacon of Franklin, Tennessee; aunts Vera Pesaresi of Lake Village and Marian Mulligan of St. Joseph, Louisiana; and many wonderful cousins and their beautiful families in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The family extends its deepest gratitude to cousins Jo Anne and Eddy Bush for their extraordinary devotion to John Peter, especially during the pandemic. The family also thanks Teresa Mondragon, Cheryl Davies, Jean Revels and Patricia Bell for the wonderful care they provided to John Peter over the years.
A funeral mass for John Peter will be held at 10:00 A.M on April 15 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church with burial at the St. Isidore Cemetery in Lake Village with Father Stephen Hart presiding.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Lake Village Food Pantry, 311 Jackson Street, Lake Village, Arkansas 71653. Arrangements by Griffin-Culpepper Funeral Service of Lake Village, AR. Online guest book may be signed at www.griffinculpepper.com