06/03/2026

Jay Eugene Mueller

We are saddened to announce the passing of Jay Mueller

Jay Eugene Mueller, 80, passed away on May 28, 2026, in Kennewick, Washington. He was born April 2, 1946, in Pasco, Washington, to D. Lois Bailie and Benston Amon Mueller.
Jay was the youngest of four children and looked up to his older siblings. Growing up, the family spent many summers at Cannon Beach, Oregon. The beach was his happy place. He passed his love of the beach to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; Cannon Beach became known as “Papa’s Beach.”
His Grandpa Bailie took him fishing at a young age and it became a passion. His fishing pole usually came along on family trips, just in case he saw a good spot to cast a line.
Music was another great love of Jay’s. He was a member of the Madhatter’s Choir at Kennewick High School, Eastern Washington University’s Men’s Choir and sang in a variety of choirs through the years. At times, he was a last-minute soloist at funerals. Family trips often included singalongs in the car.
Jay graduated from Kennewick High School in 1964. He was a Lion through and through and supported Kennewick High athletics and music programs for many years, including helping send the marching band to the Rose Parade in 2002 and donating to Lampson Stadium.
While Jay was home for the summer from Eastern Washington University in 1966, he met Charlene Mansius. After their first date, he told his mom he was going to marry her, which he did on January 26, 1968, in the Logan Utah Temple.
Jay enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1967 during the Vietnam Conflict. He was an Inventory Management Specialist and was stationed in St. George, Utah. He served tours of duty in Glendive, Montana, Minot, North Dakota and Thailand.
After his military service he attended Brigham Young University earning a B.S. in Business Management. He was a lifelong loyal BYU Cougar and faithfully watched their football and basketball games.
He later attended Mt. Hood Community College to complete a Mortuary Science degree before returning to work for his father in the family business in 1974.
In the early 80s his dad retired. Jay and his sister, Gail Riddell, became the third-generation owners of Mueller’s Funeral Homes and Desert Lawn Memorial Park. In 1984 they bought Greenlee Funeral Home and in 1989 built the current Mueller’s Greenlee Funeral Home in Pasco.
Jay loved being a funeral director and helping people during their most difficult days. He operated at the highest level of integrity. Jay spent his career ensuring veterans were respected and providing hundreds of free burial rights for veterans in the Veterans Section at Desert Lawn Memorial Park as there was no National Cemetery close to Kennewick. Always an innovator in the funeral business, his last project was starting Paws to Remember, a pet cremation service. Though he no longer worked every day, he continued to offer his advice and brought his homemade cookies into the office.
Jay joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the fall of 1967, and served in a variety of capacities including Scoutmaster, counselor in a bishopric, Stake High Councilor, and temple worker; but his favorite was being a missionary. In retirement he and Charlene served two full-time missions in Martin’s Cove, Wyoming and Kirtland, Ohio. Serving these missions was a fulfillment of a lifetime dream. He loved Jesus Christ and wanted everyone to feel of Christ’s love for them. It brought him joy that so many of his posterity chose to serve missions and bring others to Christ.
Affording a home for his young family seemed out of reach so Jay borrowed a home building book from the library. He then bought a piece of land and built a house. This was the first of three homes. He also built the funeral home in Pasco.
His family was his priority. He helped any way he could. With a houseful of girls, he was often the referee, keeping the peace. There were no “boy jobs,” his girls were all taught to mow lawns and use power tools. Many early mornings were spent at the church gym playing basketball, on the tennis court hitting balls or afternoons at the track timing his kids’ runs or on the golf course. He was so excited to finally have a son, Jay’s son (Jason).
Jay loved genealogy and was so proud of his heritage. He travelled around the country searching for more information about his ancestors. He understood the legacy he was left by his grandfathers, Noah Bailie, a longtime Franklin County Sherriff, and Irvin Nicholas Mueller, Kennewick’s pioneer funeral director. He loved spending time with his Bailie cousins in the Basin. Stories of how the Amons, Bailies and Muellers helped build the Tri-Cities were shared frequently with his posterity.
Jay is survived by his wife, Charlene; children, Andrea (Darryl) Cahoon, Julie (Kevin) Svenson, Amy (Kent) Coffman, Jennifer (Joe) Gunter and Jason (Suzanne) Mueller; grandchildren, Ashlyn (Dallin)Brownell and Tyler (Amelia) Cahoon, Bryce (Rebecca), Kyle (Bailee), Emily and Allison Svenson, Kimberly, Nicklaus and Conner Coffman, Elena and Thadeus (Tad) Lefler, Gavin, Darby, Elsie and Kylee Gunter and Luke and Kaitlyn Mueller; great grandchildren, Zachary, Elise and William Brownell, Adrien and Ethan Cahoon, Astrid, Luca and Milo Svenson; his brother, Gary (Sandy) Mueller; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Garrett Cahoon; brother, Richard Mueller; and sister, Gail Riddell.
A visitation will be Friday, June 19, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Mueller’s Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 S. Union Street in Kennewick, Washington.
Funeral services will be Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kennewick East Stake Center, 515 S. Union Street, Kennewick, Washington. Interment with military honors will follow at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick.
Funeral services will be Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Kennewick East Stake Center, 515 S. Union Street, Kennewick, Washington. Interment with military honors will follow at Desert Lawn Memorial Park in Kennewick.