The city of Atlanta was one that struck a chord in Mark Mulkey’s heart. Throughout his career as a construction superintendent, Mulkey had his hand in making the city he loved a more beautiful place.
“He was a huge history buff, and he loved the history of Atlanta,” said his daughter, Marcie Mulkey Anderson. “He would take me to different parts of the city, and every time we would see a marker of a historical spot, we would have to pull over.”
Mulkey’s career began by working as a commercial construction superintendent for Foster & Cooper/Cooper and Co. He then went on to work as a superintendent for JE Dunn Construction before eventually retiring from Cork-Howard Construction early this year.
Before Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, Mulkey was in charge of renovating the Stone Mountain cable cars for the carrying of the Olympic torch to the top of the mountain. Mulkey assisted in the drawing of the project plans for what is now known as the Summit Skyride and made sure they were executed correctly. He also helped construct the visitors center that sits atop the mountain. It was a project he took much pride in, Anderson said.
“He was definitely the happiest working at Stone Mountain,” she said. “He was the conductor of the entire project. It was his baby.”
Mark Cole Mulkey, of Cumming, died Monday from complications of a brain tumor at Embracing Hospice, Cumming. He was 59. His funeral was held Friday at Roswell United Methodist Church. Burial followed immediately at Green Lawn Cemetery, Roswell. Roswell Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
While working for JE Dunn, Mulkey helped renovate the cafeteria at the Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, where he became very popular. He had the ability to turn clients into friends in a short amount of time and was known by many for his outstanding customer service, said Nathan McFerrin, who worked with Mulkey on the project.
“He was always very conscientious and client-centered,” McFerrin said. “He was a rock star on the [Chick-fil-A] campus. We would go into the cafeteria and he would talk to everybody. Everybody knew him.”
Throughout his career, Mulkey also had his hand in the renovation of the Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, as well as several churches in the area. He had done so much, Anderson said she used to have a hard time keeping up with everything.
“We would ride through the city and he would point out things and say, ‘I did that,” and, ‘I did that, too,’ ” she said. “I didn’t appreciate it then, but I do now.”
In addition to his daughter, Mulkey is survived by his wife, Peggy Seymour Mulkey of Cumming; his mother and stepfather, Violet May Cox and Carroll Cox of Norcross; one son, Matthew Cole Mulkey of Colorado; one brother, David Lee Mulkey of Lilburn; and one granddaughter.
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