David F. McMullen

David F. McMullen of Hilton Head Island, SC, loving husband, father, friend, Marine Engineer and musician passed away on May 20, 2026. He was 93 years old. He was preceded in death by his childhood sweetheart and beloved wife of 68 years, Catherine.

Dave is survived by his five children, son Stephen McMullen (Hillsboro, NJ), son and daughter-in-law David and Dianne McMullen (Atlanta, GA), son Michael McMullen (Bath, Maine), son and daughter-in-law Frederick and Vivian McMullen (Darien, CT) and daughter and son-in-law Barbara and John Grassi (Egg Harbor Township, NJ), twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Claire Hoffman.

Dave was born on June 16, 1932, in Philadelphia, PA to his late parents David and Claire. Upon graduating High School, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1956, graduated from the Washington U.S. Navy School of Music and played throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. Dave was a life member of the Naval Musicians Association.

Dave married his childhood sweetheart while in the service in March 1956 and then attended Penn State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He also attended the Carnegie Mellon University Executive Management Program.

He joined the J.J. Henry Company, a leading Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering ship design firm as a mechanical designer and served on various commercial and military ship design projects working with ship owners, operators, builders and government agencies throughout the United States and internationally.

Dave spent two years at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation and then joined the ship design firm of J.J. McMullen, now a division of Alion Science and Technology and retired as the Corporate Vice President and Director.

He was a life member of the Philadelphia Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the Society of Naval Engineers, the American Shipbuilders Association and served on the Board of Directors of Seadrec International, a foreign dredge design firm.

Dave and Catherine moved to Hilton Head Island in 1997. Throughout his working and retired life, he continued to stay active in music as a professional clarinet and saxophone player.

Upon retirement to Hilton Head he joined the Hilton Head Symphony, worked with students in the Youth Orchestra and served on the board, played in the Beaufort Symphony, directed the Stardust Jazz Orchestra and Sun City Show Band and other local music organizations.

David and his loving wife were devout Catholics and members of St. Francis by the Sea Catholic Church, where a memorial service and inurnment are being planned for a later date.