"Two pillars of the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region passed away late last year, taking their stories with them: Robert (Bob) Mullen, who founded Woodside Vineyards in 1963, and Dr. Thomas Fogarty, renowned inventor of the balloon catheter, who also founded Thomas Fogarty Winery in 1981. Mullen died on Nov. 24, 2025, after celebrating his 99th birthday in February. "He wanted to make it to 100," says his wife, Marsha Campbell. "But his body just gave out.""
"Born in Ohio, Mullen joined the U.S. Navy as part of a college training program at Purdue University and Miami University (Ohio) before he was called to serve at sea during World War II. After completing college post war, he began a long career as a sales rep with Armstrong World Industries, working in the Building Products Division. When the company moved him to San Francisco, he discovered wine at a work dinner. Charles Krug Grey Riesling so entranced him that he immediately went to a wine shop and bought himself a bottle."
"After being called back to the Navy during the Korean War and surviving a torpedo attack that killed 26 of his crew, Mullen and his then-wife Polly moved to Woodside in 1960, where he partnered with the Groetzinger family to make wine from the La Questa Vineyard, which was planted by Emmet Rixford in 1884 above Cañada Road. Unlike his peers, he bottled wine in pint and quart bottles, not jugs. His wines enjoyed worldwide acclaim, including a gold medal at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco."
Robert (Bob) Mullen and Dr. Thomas Fogarty both died late last year, leaving legacies in the Santa Cruz Mountains wine region. Mullen founded Woodside Vineyards in 1963 and developed wine from the historic La Questa Vineyard. Mullen served in the U.S. Navy in World War II and the Korean War, worked for Armstrong World Industries, and discovered a passion for wine after moving to San Francisco. He bottled wines in pint and quart bottles rather than jugs and received international recognition, including a gold medal at the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. Marsha Campbell is planning a 100th birthday party and a celebration of his life. Fogarty, inventor of the balloon catheter, founded Thomas Fogarty Winery in 1981 and also passed away late last year.
Read at The Mercury News
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