Deacon Jack Bullen, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Sacramento on June 5, 2004, died on March 19. He was 83. He served the diocese for more than 12 years.
Bishop Jaime Soto will preside at a funeral Mass for Deacon Bullen on Tuesday, May 16, at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, located at 515 Main St. in Red Bluff. A reception will follow at the parish hall at 2355 Monroe Ave.
He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 63 years, and four children: Elizabeth (married to Eric Howard); Eileen (married to Peter Viik); Keith (married to Carol Bullen), and Christopher. He is also survived by three grandchildren: Eric, Ariel and Rebecca, and six great-grandchildren.
Deacon Bullen graduated from St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco in 1957. While attending the University of San Francisco, he worked at the famed City of Paris selling men's suits.
"Jack loved to fly," Barbara said. "He earned his pilot's license in the Bay Area and bought into an airplane of his own. He had an extensive and successful career as a business manager and owner. But his biggest adventure was studying to become a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He wanted to give back to God and the community for all the blessings he had received in his long lifetime."
Jack was a sportsman, Barbara added. "He scuba-dived off the California coast. He hunted and fished. His father taught him to fish in Mineral, California. He became lifelong friends with Bill Voorhees, with whom he worked in San Francisco, and they would fish during summer vacations. Jack loved fast cars and took pride in owning an Austin Martin, a TransAm and a Corvette -- and multiple trucks. He once crewed on a sailboat with John Gumm, going to Alaska, south to Mexico, and then across the Pacific Ocean to Tahiti and Hawaii."
The Bullen family requests that donations be made to Sacred Heart Parish in Red Bluff "for those in need."