Busy Mr. Delanco couldnt Do Enough By Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT POSTED: November 30, 1992 DELANCO — After marrying his 12th couple this year - and worrying that he would not pronounce the names right - busy Delanco Mayor Richard M. Mueller sat down at a very familiar desk in the township meeting room and talked about what really turned him on. It is Delanco, its successes and failures, its problems and hopes. Mueller, 55, recalled sitting alone at that desk last year, wrestling over how to keep taxes from increasing - during his vacation. A self-confirmed detail man and seemingly tireless public official, Mueller is calling it quits after six years on the Township Committee, two of them as mayor. He has rejected another run for office and is waiting out his last five weeks. Precarious health has imposed a role reversal on this longtime public servant, who has attended more than 600 meetings of at least seven different governing bodies since 1987. From now on, Im going to be in the audience, reminding them (committee members) of the things that need to be done, he said last Monday. Committeewoman Janice Lohr said: I dont think anybody will ever fill his shoes, as far as attending meetings and being up on township business. She agreed with Committeeman Robert Bellans assertion that Mueller was Mr. Delanco. Mueller suffers from scleroderma, a rare skin disease that hardens the skin and can cripple ones internal organs if left unchecked. Only 300,000 Americans have it, and just 75,000 of them are men, said Mueller. Shortly before the April deadline for filing as a candidate, Mueller made the painful decision. The doctor said if I want to live to my retirement, I have to slow down, Mueller said. I said I could do it halfway or get out altogether. With his wifes encouragement, he chose the latter. I cant tell people I accept for three years and not be able to do it the whole way, Mueller said. Muellers scleroderma was diagnosed in 1986, about the time he was operated on for a diseased esophagus. Since then, he has been under the constant medical care of a personal physician and specialist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. He takes nine pills a day. A buildup of collagen in his system has fattened his hands. He has lost the feeling in his fingertips, he said. The disease, which causes chronic fatigue, has forced him to seek a less- stressful life. Heightened sensitivity to cold means he will eventually move south to find warmer weather. Many scleroderma patients eventually become immobile, he said. I feel fortunate, Mueller said. Its five years later, and Im not a cripple. Im still working for a living. He is a mechanic at Allied Signal Inc. This is not the first time that Mueller has faced a physical disability. In 1960, he was found to have cancer and given only a short time to live. An operation cured him. Several years later, the Riverside native moved across Rancocas Creek to Delanco and immediately plunged into community service. He was an original member of the Recreation Committee in 1965 and served in various capacities in numerous local organizations over the years. Shortly after his esophagus operation in 1986, he won his first race for Township Committee. Mueller said he was proud of keeping municipal tax increases down to an annual average of $21.71, maintaining local streets and public-works department equipment while working for the completion of the master plan and the installation of town hall computers. He couldnt conjure up any regrets, except for not completing some of the things on his 100-plus-item wish list. I always felt I couldnt do enough, said Mueller. He says he will keep busy with volunteer activities, his grandchildren and, most likely, selling real estate.
Posted on: Tue, 20 May 2014 13:07:06 +0000
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