Dr. Arthur "Art" Mittler's Obituary
Arthur Mittler, 82, of Methuen, MA passed away very unexpectedly, January 15, 2026.
He was the son of the late Jean and Jack Mittler. “Art” was born and raised in New Jersey. A graduate of Drew University, he went on to complete his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics at the University of Kentucky.
For the next 56 years, he was a faculty member in the Physics and Applied Physics department of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, rising to the rank of Professor. For the past two-and a-half years he served as department chair. An active researcher and publisher, he also worked for many years overseeing the undergraduate program as well as the physics laboratories. He co-founded the Lowell Regional Physics Alliance (LRPA) and procured grants from the National Science Foundation for the enrichment of students and teachers alike.
A resident of Methuen, MA since 2005, Art enjoyed comedy, the outdoors, socializing with friends, attending car shows, and taking EV road trips with his wife. Prior to moving to Methuen, he was a long-time resident of Chelmsford, MA, where he was a constant fixture in helping run several local youth athletics associations.
Art is survived by his wife Marcia L. Burns-Mittler, his son Kevin Mittler and daughter-in-law Robin (Strout) Mittler, his sister Freda DeFosse, sister-in-law Edith Erdman and her husband John, brother-in-law Howard Blohm and his wife Anne, numerous nieces, nephews, their families, as well as the extended Lawlor & Gallagher relatives of his wife. He also leaves an abundance of friends and colleagues from his many years as part of the communities of Chelmsford, Methuen, and UMass-Lowell. He was predeceased by his first wife Evelyn (Blohm) Mittler, and his sisters Lorraine Suckle and Iris Haber.
Calling hours will take place from 2 – 8 pm on Friday, January 23, 2026 at the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, 122 Amesbury St., Lawrence. A funeral service and burial will take place at the Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Lawrence, on Saturday, January 24th, at 11 a.m. Please meet at the funeral home at 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Arthur’s name to: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation https://www.bcrf.org/ or Adopt A Bee/Rooftop Garden, Boston Medical Center, Office of Development, 960 Massachusetts Ave. 2nd Flr, Boston, MA 02118 (please put in memory of Arthur Mittler in the check memo). For online condolences and other information, please visit https://www.breenfuneralhome.com.
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