Molly Mulqueen Hittinger's Obituary
Molly Mulqueen Hittinger passed away peacefully on July 8, 2026, at home in Pearland, Texas, after a three-year battle with various neurological disorders. Molly was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Dec 4, 1960, to James and Kathryn Mulqueen.
The Mulqueens lived at 110 3rd Street in Council Bluffs–a house that was inhabited by three generations of Mulqueens until 2022. Molly was born with a serious heart defect which was corrected through open heart surgery at Mayo Clinic in 1966. That spirit of perseverance and toughness – tackling any problem, big and small, and overcoming them with grace, zeal and most of all faith – was a characteristic that defined Molly’s entire life up until the very moment of her death.
Molly was educated by Benedictine Sisters at St. Peter School in Council Bluffs and graduated from St. Albert’s High School in 1979 with awards in journalism and academic achievement. After a semester at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, Molly chose to attend Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in political science and journalism in 1982. But perhaps most importantly, that’s where she met the love of her life, John Hittinger. They married in 1983, soon after her graduation. Molly held many jobs in journalism, public relations and education, including as a freelance journalist; she authored several hundred articles in more than a dozen national and regional publications, such as the National Catholic Register and Catholic World Report.
In 1985 John and Molly moved to Joliet, Illinois, where she was director of publicity for the Rialto Theater and she continued her freelance work for Catholic press. While in Joliet, they had three children: Jack (born 1986), Ellie (born 1988), and Jim (born 1990). The family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where their fourth child, Joe was born in 1994. Molly was active in the parish school serving on the school board and continued her writing with diocesan papers in Denver and Colorado Springs as well as writing two columns for national magazine Lay Witness.
The Hittingers moved to the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield, Michigan, in 2001, where Molly worked at Orchard Lake Schools in various capacities, including special assistant to the headmaster and was involved in writing grants and raising money for St. Mary’s Preparatory, St. Mary’s College and SS Cyril and Methodius Seminary. The Hittingers moved one final time in 2007, relocating to the Houston area, where they have lived for nearly 20 years.
In Houston, Molly received her master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in educational leadership. She was very dedicated to education and worked at Incarnate Word High School and St. Thomas High School as well as at Rice University in various communication and editing roles. Her final job, which she loved tremendously, was at Angela House in Houston, where she served as the chief development officer. Angela House is a ministry to women who seek to make a transition from prison life to constructive life in society. Molly loved working with these women because of her compassionate heart. She was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church in Pearland and was a very involved volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul Society, which helps serve the poor and hungry in the area. Molly loved to bake and garden.
She is survived by her husband of 43 years, John Hittinger; her four children Jack (Maggi) Hittinger of Skakopee, Minnesota; Ellie (Marco) Delgado of Pearland, Texas and her grandchildren Gabi and Mila; Jim Hittinger (Julia Maiuri) of Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Joe Hittinger (Staci Dubow) of Somerville, Massachusetts; her sister, Mary Kae Stott of Littleton, Colorado, and her brother Bob Mulqueen (Tricia Lyman) of Des Moines, Iowa. Molly was preceded in death by her parents, James and Kathryn Mulqueen, and her brother, Dennis Mulqueen.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Angela House in Molly's memory.
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