Mulhern grew up on the East Side of Madison, lived on a modest cul-de-sac in Marshall and managed to land the job he always wanted. ﻿ He loved covering the Badgers but had to leave the job in August following his diagnosis.

He worked at his hometown newspaper, where his primary beat for the last 15 years was covering the University of Wisconsin football team. He did it so well he was named Sportswriter of the Year in the state in 2005 and 2010.

But Mulhern was never about acclaim or attention. He just wanted a story to tell — a person, place or thing; high school, college, the pros — and enough time before deadline to do it proper justice.

His best work didn’t have much to do with sports, though. It was a bound Caringbridge Journal, a collection of stories and anecdotes he wrote during Barb’s extended battle with colon cancer. It was therapy for him, a way to try to cope with the excruciating heartache. Every word was drenched in love.

What friends, colleagues and subjects — student-athletes, coaches, administrators and support staffers — will likely recall about Mulhern years from now won’t have much to do with sports, either.