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Micki McNeely Mulkern, 78, went to be with our Lord on July 7, 2019 in Snowflake, Arizona.
She was born in Lancasater, NH on August 26, 2940 to Warren and Betsey McNeely. Her first name was different then and if you know it, fine, and if you don't know it, don't expect any of us to tell you... she hated it! She preferred to go by her nickname, "Micki", and legally changed her name in her 30s.
Micki moved her mother and her sister, Hope, across country to Tucson in 1958 for the health of her mother. It was there that she married Francis Mulkern and had two daughters, Kelly and Erin.
Micki graduated from St. Mary's School of Nursing and started working as a nurse at St. Mary's hospital. Not long after, in 1973, she was accepted as a student in the 2nd class for the University of Arizona Nurse Practitioner program. After St. Mary's, she worked in the ER at the Veteran's Administration hospital. She had a few stories to tell about that experience!
Around this time, Micki began working directly with famous southwest artist, Ted DeGrazia, to raise money for the home Erin was living in at the time, Hacienda de los Angeles in Phoenix.
Taking a little detour from healthcare, Micki began working in the construction trade. She and a friend purchased some homes to fix-up and resell as well as working on construction sites building the buildings.
Around 1980, Micki started working at Hillhaven Hospice, the first free-standing hospice facility in the United States.
Next came a move back to St. Mary's hospital as an in-home hospice nurse. She would travel all around the city to provide hospice care to terminally ill patients who opted to stay at home until the end of life.
Illness forced an early retirement and she continued to live in Tucson until 2019 when she moved to Snowflake, AZ, to be nearer to daughter, Kelly, and her family.
Micki loved to travel. She took several trips to Hawaii and Europe, as well as a handful of cruises.
She also loved chinese food, especially mu-shu pork, which is ironic given her hatred for most things vegetable, especially the green vegetables... which is also ironic, given that green was her favorite color.
Micki touched lives wherever she went or whoever came to her. People who knew her or even just met her briefly always commented on what a special person she was and how much she touched their lives.
Micki was preceeded in death by her parents, daughter Erin, sister Karen, uncle Howard, and many more family and friends over the years.
She is survived by daughter Kelly, her husband Harold and son Elijah of Show Low; sister Hope and her husband Tom of Florida; brother Bill; and brother-in-law Beno of New Hampshire.
She is also survived by life-long friends Ann Kurth, Jan Donnelly, Polly Stewart, and Ursula Haynes.
Many thanks to Reah Matyas and the wonderful staff at Carriage House on Garden Lane in Snowflake, AZ. You made a difference!
Also, many thanks to the caring staff of CompassUs hospice in the White Mountains.
Micki asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either Interfaith Community Services (ICSTucson.org) or the Humane Society. She also would welcome those who knew her to perform a random act of kindness in her memory.
Her daughter resides at 8495 Rifle, Show Low, AZ 85901