The sudden passing of Milledgeville City Councilman Richard “Boo” Mullins sent shockwaves through a town where it seemed everyone had their own story about him.
On Saturday, Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham Copelan was celebrating her grandson’s birthday when both of her phones began to ring.
“I remember thinking, ‘what in the world?’ and to pick it up and hear that news literally just took me away,” Copelan said. “He was a huge guy with a huge heart that will be so missed, especially by me.”
Just eight months ago, Milledgeville lost another giant of city government when former City Manager Barry Jarrett died. For Copelan, the loss of Mullins is the loss of a mentor and friend.
She said Mullins always pressed her to make sure she came prepared and told her to take the time to network with people everywhere she went.
“I promise you, everywhere I went, people would ask me about him, and I have gotten so many calls from people around the state,” she said.
Mullins was often criticized for not giving many interviews with the press. In his reelection bid in 2021, he faced an opponent who argued that Mullins was out of touch, but he handily won a fifth term in November.
“He wasn’t big on many words, but when he got to know you, he spoke with so much volume and so much wisdom and knowledge,” Copelan said. “He cared about this community; he cared about his constituents and everybody that they would be treated fairly.”
Copelan said people would often think he wasn’t listening during meetings until he chimed in with sharp and pointed questions.
Mullins was largely a private person, but Copelan said his family was very important to him. She said she knew Mullins for many years before becoming the mayor because their daughters were the same age, and they grew up together. “It’s not that I just started to know him; I’ve known him a long time,” she said.
According to the mayor, the entire council is reeling from the news, but all are united both in grief and respect. “When I asked that we cancel [Tuesday’s] meeting out of respect, not one member voted against it,” she said.
The council was in the middle of budget hearings; the final round was set for Tuesday.
While she said she’s still in shock, she wants the public to know, “he is a good father, good friend, a good son, and he is truly going to be missed.”
A Celebration of Life for Mullins will be held Sunday at the Georgia College Centennial Center in Milledgeville.
He will lie in state beginning at 11:45 a.m. with the service following at 1 p.m. Masks will be required for the event.