Death date: Oct 25, 2020
It is with extreme sadness that we share with you the passing of Darcy Mullen as of Sunday, October 25, 2020. Darcy was a creative soul. She surrounded herself with plants, and let nothing go to waste. She painted with coffee gr Read Obituary
Dear Darcy, Thank you for your service to Georgia Tech and your dedication to your students and your craft. Clearly, the world has lost one of its more colorful, brightest souls and will be just a little bit dimmer for the absence of your light. May you find peace and happiness wherever you go, and may you be surrounded by kindred spirits who will appreciate the light that you bring. With regards from a colleague who never got to meet you but really wishes he had. - Nathan W. Moon
I’m just now hearing of Darcy’s passing. My heart is broken. I first met Darcy through her father Brian. He was a big fan of mine ( I’m a singer-songwriter in Syracuse ). Brian loved his daughter- and I got to know her first through his eyes ( he was a great writer- thus a great storyteller and we shared something in common/both raising a daughter). She and I got together for lunch after his passing. We kept in touch over the years. I loved her strength and confidence- she was a brilliant woman, a talented writer herself. I am very saddened to know I’ll never see her again. Love and light to her friends and family that she’s left behind.
Darcy was a deeply empathetic and highly gifted professor, and her students at Georgia Tech really felt how deeply she cared about them as human beings, as well as her skill as an instructor. I had the privilege of working with Darcy on an assessment project through Serve-Learn-Sustain at Georgia Tech, and I was consistently impressed by her commitment to food justice, equity, and community engagement learning opportunities for her students. When Georgia Tech had to "pivot" to virtual instruction in March, Darcy was consistently attentive to the challenges and needs of her students, always working to ensure they were supported in coping with stresses associated with the pandemic as well as the challenges of online learning. She will be deeply missed by students, staff, and faculty at Georgia Tech.
Darcy was one of the first people to welcome me to the Writing and Communication Program. I've only been here a few months, but she had already gone out of her way multiple times to see if I needed anything, to share dog stories and, once she found out I'm impressed by craft projects, to tell me about her marvelous creative work. I'll remember her as a compassionate, community minded soul and her example will stay with me throughout my years at Tech.
Melissa Ianetta
As these wonderful memories attest, Darcy was so very beloved. She was a treasured collaborator and colleague of our team at Georgia Tech's Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, where we were so lucky to work with her, her students, and her community partners. We will miss her so much, and we extend our condolences, love, and prayers to her mother, her family, and her big family of friends. We have posted a tribute to Darcy and to her teaching here: https://serve-learn-sustain.gatech.edu/remembrance-darcy-mullen
Darcy was an authentic and caring person. Although our paths would not have typically crossed a whole lot, we has worked together on a project and were friends on FB. When I posted about my struggles with fibromyalgia, she reached out to comfort and encourage me. She had herself been diagnosed with fibromyalgia (in addition to her endometriosis) a few months before my post.
I had originally been reluctant to share a lot about my illness. However, Darcy’s was one of those messages that encouraged me to be more open about it, and eventually become an advocate - there are still many who think it’s a “fake disease.”
Darcy wrote to me “I also respect your openness in sharing that on social media. As you know there’s such pressure regarding how we talk about our bodies, especially in public spaces. I appreciate you, and hope we can get our paths to cross again soon!“
We bonded over our shared battles with pain and the pursuit of social justice. Her positive attitude inspired me to appreciate my life and focus less on the burdens.
I also attended one of her classes on food literacy. She was an inspiring teacher. Her students were deeply engaged and enthusiastic. I learned a lot that day in her class.
Thank you for bringing so much light and joy in this world, Darcy. Rest In Peace ❤️
Darcy was a generous person who brought so much joy through her dedication to her students, her fierce loyalty to friends, her passion for food justice, and, of course, her love for her souphound. She was also amazingly open about her struggles with endometriosis and chronic pain and she transformed her experience into art, storytelling, and advocacy.
I had the good fortune to first meet Darcy in 2006 at U of R and to later reconnect at Tech when she first arrived as a Brittain Fellow. I have fond memories of her explaining how she learned how to crochet from her dad, her expressions while she told a story about attending a science-fi con, the little stories she made up about former inhabitants while we toured rental houses for her to move into, and one of her attempts to try mushrooms. She was also frequently thoughtful, dropping off little gifts she thought might suit based on quick observations or helping rush the pet of a virtual stranger to the emergency vet even though she was exhausted. She’ll be missed by many—my sympathies to you all.
