thedrifter
06-25-08, 06:34 AM
June 25, 2008
Garnerville man, disabled advocate who served with Marines, dies
Suzan Clarke
The Journal News
GARNERVILLE - William Mullin, an advocate for the disabled and a Marine veteran, has died.
Mullin, a Garnerville resident and the father of six grown daughters, died Sunday at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J. He was 69.
In 1979, Mullin was paralyzed from the chest down during a swimming accident.
Over the years, he became known in Rockland as a tireless advocate for the disabled and was a leading spokesman for issues affecting the handicapped, particularly taxes and voting access.
Mullin's testimony at a 2003 state hearing on voting reform helped state lawmakers shape bills relating to the federal Help America Vote Act.
Joan Silvestri, the Republican Board of Elections commissioner, said she first met Mullin about four years ago at a hearing, where he testified about the importance of the disabled being able to vote independently.
They talked, and since then, Mullin had worked with the Board of Elections. He volunteered his time to perform outreach to disabled voters in Rockland, to educate them and help instruct them on the use of handicapped-accessible voting machines. He also helped the Board of Elections when it began to explore new voting technologies that would work best for people with disabilities, she said.
"We used him as our expert, and he volunteered his time to do that with us," she said.
"He was a remarkable guy and he's going to be missed by this board in particular. We're going to miss his guidance and his very logical and very rational way of looking at things and very, very practical opinions he had on the usability of these machines.
"It's a sad loss for all of Rockland," she added.
A life member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mullin served in the Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959 and ended his service with the rank of sergeant.
He later worked in the insurance industry and ran his own West Haverstraw insurance brokerage firm with two of his daughters from 1983 to 1995.
Mullin was working as an advocate at the Rockland Independent Living Center in Nanuet. He was project manager of the center's Cyber Café.
While there, he taught stroke and accident victims how to use computers to improve their lives.
Minnie Hannah, an employee at the center, said Mullin was dedicated to the cafe.
"He loved the Cyber Café," Hannah, the center's office manager, said yesterday. "He did the Web page. He kept it up to date. He put a lot of hours into it."
Hannah described him as "a very kind person, outgoing, a person that wanted to excel, had great ambitions."
A Mass will be celebrated at 10:15 a.m. today at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church in Garnerville. Burial with military honors will follow in Mount Repose Cemetery in Haverstraw.
Memoriual donations may be sent to the Rockland Independent Living Center, c/o Dora Cabrera, the Nanuet Mall, 75 W. Route 59, Suite 2130, Nanuet, NY 10954.
Ellie
Garnerville man, disabled advocate who served with Marines, dies
Suzan Clarke
The Journal News
GARNERVILLE - William Mullin, an advocate for the disabled and a Marine veteran, has died.
Mullin, a Garnerville resident and the father of six grown daughters, died Sunday at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J. He was 69.
In 1979, Mullin was paralyzed from the chest down during a swimming accident.
Over the years, he became known in Rockland as a tireless advocate for the disabled and was a leading spokesman for issues affecting the handicapped, particularly taxes and voting access.
Mullin's testimony at a 2003 state hearing on voting reform helped state lawmakers shape bills relating to the federal Help America Vote Act.
Joan Silvestri, the Republican Board of Elections commissioner, said she first met Mullin about four years ago at a hearing, where he testified about the importance of the disabled being able to vote independently.
They talked, and since then, Mullin had worked with the Board of Elections. He volunteered his time to perform outreach to disabled voters in Rockland, to educate them and help instruct them on the use of handicapped-accessible voting machines. He also helped the Board of Elections when it began to explore new voting technologies that would work best for people with disabilities, she said.
"We used him as our expert, and he volunteered his time to do that with us," she said.
"He was a remarkable guy and he's going to be missed by this board in particular. We're going to miss his guidance and his very logical and very rational way of looking at things and very, very practical opinions he had on the usability of these machines.
"It's a sad loss for all of Rockland," she added.
A life member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Mullin served in the Marine Corps from 1955 to 1959 and ended his service with the rank of sergeant.
He later worked in the insurance industry and ran his own West Haverstraw insurance brokerage firm with two of his daughters from 1983 to 1995.
Mullin was working as an advocate at the Rockland Independent Living Center in Nanuet. He was project manager of the center's Cyber Café.
While there, he taught stroke and accident victims how to use computers to improve their lives.
Minnie Hannah, an employee at the center, said Mullin was dedicated to the cafe.
"He loved the Cyber Café," Hannah, the center's office manager, said yesterday. "He did the Web page. He kept it up to date. He put a lot of hours into it."
Hannah described him as "a very kind person, outgoing, a person that wanted to excel, had great ambitions."
A Mass will be celebrated at 10:15 a.m. today at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church in Garnerville. Burial with military honors will follow in Mount Repose Cemetery in Haverstraw.
Memoriual donations may be sent to the Rockland Independent Living Center, c/o Dora Cabrera, the Nanuet Mall, 75 W. Route 59, Suite 2130, Nanuet, NY 10954.
Ellie