Susie Mullen has worn many hats in her life — and one was a Viking helmet.
Mullen, a beloved local figure known to many as “Ms. Susie” or “Viking Goddess” because of her long braids, is in hospice care at Central Texas Medical Center as of press time Thursday. Mullen has been a restaurateur, artist, teacher, singer/songwriter, fixture in the annual Just For Fun Parade and, for many people on and off campus, a kind soul with a ready smile. She used her artistic talents to create Valentine’s Day cards that she would sell on campus to raise money for the Hays County Food Bank. One friend described her as “a good friend to many from all walks of life.”
In 2016, the University Star published a profile of the “Viking Goddess” noting that she is a native of San Marcos and a 1988 graduate from the university (then known as Southwest Texas State University). She operated the cash register at Jones Dining Hall, where she touched the lives of countless students. The “Susie, Viking Goddess of Jones Dining Hall” Facebook page at one point had more fans than the Texas State Athletics page. Now Mullen has her own hashtag on Twitter — #ThankYouMsSusie — as tributes pour in on social media.
