Paul Peter Mehler

Paul P. Mehler, LTC, USA Ret passed away in Alexandria, VA on January 1, 2022, at the age of 92. He was a wonderful and much-loved husband, father, and grandfather. He was born in Paterson, NJ on November 7, 1929, the son of Paul and Mildred Mehler. He graduated from Paterson Eastside High School and attended MIT, the University of Cincinnati, and Kansas State University where he earned his B.S. in Mathematics. He went on to earn his MBA from Tulane University. He entered the US Army in 1955, attended Officer Candidate School, and became a second lieutenant in the infantry. In 1960, he married Mary Ellen Mallon while stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He and Mary Ellen raised their four children through various international and domestic postings, eventually settling in Alexandria, VA. Early in his military career, he provided training and logistics support in South Korea while assigned to the Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG). Later, while serving at the Pentagon Office of Comptroller, he volunteered to serve in Vietnam. He was assigned as the Executive Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel after returning from multiple tours of duty. He completed 20 years of service before retiring from the Army in 1975. He then joined Merrill Lynch as a stockbroker. He became an Assistant Vice President in 1980 and retired from the financial services group in 1995. He then became quite involved in volunteer activities. He was a member of the Mount Vernon Knights of Columbus. At various times, he served as President of the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club and as President of the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. He loved to travel with Mary Ellen, especially to Europe. Ireland and Italy were favorite destinations, where they enjoyed researching family history and connecting with distant relatives. His survivors include Mary Ellen Mehler, his wife of 61 years, his daughters Susan Mehler and Jennifer Mehler-Rardin (Eric Rardin), his sons Steven and Robert, and his grandchildren Grace and Isabella Rardin. Paul was a longtime supporter of the work to end poverty and hunger in his local community. In his memory, donations to www.unitedcommunity.org are greatly appreciated. A funeral mass will take place at 10:30 am on Wednesday, January 12 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA. The mass will be available to view remotely as a live broadcast at the following website: www.gs-cc.org/livestream At a later date, he will be laid to rest with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.