James D. Mueller

James D. Mueller, 84, of Brook Park, passed away Sunday March 21, 2021 following a short illness at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland.  He was born May 16, 1936 in Cleveland and was a graduate of East High School in Cleveland.  Jim earned an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Chinese and East Asian Studies from Oberlin College and a Master of Arts degree in Chinese Linguistics from The Ohio State University.  Jim joined the Marines in 1953 and spent 20 years on active service in radio communications and signal intelligence as a Chinese translator.  Jim and his wife visited or lived in 38 states and more than 20 countries and territories, in 23 of the world’s 26 time zones and in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  He also served two tours in Viet Nam (1965-1966 and 1969-1970).  He retired from the Marines in 1973 with the rank of Master Sergeant.  After retiring from the Marines, he moved back to the Cleveland area and worked as a correspondent for the Elyria Chronicle Telegram, as a news editor at the North Ridgeville Light, as the Executive Vice President of the Lorain County Board of Realtors and as the Development Director at Penton Press in Berea, from where he retired in 1999.  Jim was a member of the Ohio State Alumni Association, the Fleet Reserve Association and he was a life-member of the Marine Corps League.  James D. Mueller is survived by: his wife of 59 years, Alice (nee Pontes); and his brother, Shawn Mueller of Westlake.  He was preceded in death by: his mother, Mary Alice (nee Thompson), his father, Fred H., a brother, Kerry Mueller, and a step-brother, Roark Gallagher.  The family will receive friends on Sunday March 28, 2021 from 4 to 7pm at the Liston Funeral Home, 36403 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville.  The service will be Monday March 29, 2021 at 1pm at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, 10175 Rawiga Road, Seville.  (Please meet at the cemetery).  Full military honors will be observed.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.       

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of James D. Mueller, please visit our floral store.