Neighbors, Co-Workers Mourn Loss of Engineer & Mentor Michael Mohn

The world knows what happened to 68-year-old Michael Mohn inside his family’s home at 145 Upper Orchard Drive in Middletown Township’s Levittown section last Tuesday. However, there’s more to the story of the man who was well liked by those who knew him.

Over the past several days, those who knew Mohn, who they just called “Mike,” spoke about the man he was and the legacy he leaves behind.

Mohn and wife, Denice, lived in the William Levitt-built Jubilee on Upper Orchard Drive for 38 years.

According to someone who knew the family, they moved to Upper Orchard Drive to start a family after living in Fairless Hills.

Carol Carnley, a longtime neighbor of the family, recalled Mohn as being a “good guy.”

“He was really a great guy,” she stated. “He was the neighbor that everyone wants to have.”

Carnley said she has spoken to the family since the tragedy and wanted to respect their privacy.

Other neighbors of Upper Orchard Drive recalled seeing the couple and their three kids over the years.

One nearby resident said the Mohns were nice and that the family was “deeply private.”

The outpouring of grief was visible as some neighbors placed flowers and a cross outside the Mohn family home.

Gary Campbell met Mohn as his karate instructor in the 1980s, with Mohn becoming one of his first black belts.

“Truly a great guy. I still tell a story about Mike to this day,” Campbell said. “He always had a new gym bag each week. He would use a brown paper bag to bring his uniform to class.”

Campbell and Mohn, who was a driver in his wedding, became friends, but they had lost touch as the years went by.

“I am deeply saddened by his loss,” Campbell said.

Mohn, a civil engineer, held five patents from his work with Betz Industrial Inc., an environmental firm.

The Levittown resident had worked full-time at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District for more than 20 years before semi-retiring.

“We are deeply saddened about the tragic death of our teammate Michael Mohn. He served with our Geo-Environmental Section. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mohn family and we are focused on supporting our grieving employees at this time,” said Steve Rochette, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District.

Mohn’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers colleagues remembered their co-worker, mentor, and friend over the weekend.

In an statement provided to LevittownNow.com, the public servants said Mohn took on “many complex environmental remediation projects.”

One example they pointed to was the Salford Quarry Superfund site in Harleysville, Montgomery County. Mohn’s co-workers said he was the project engineer and managed to reduce the cost of the cleanup by several million dollars over what was originally projected.

“For all of Mike’s individual talents and achievements, he also made his mark as a trusted and valued mentor to younger colleagues and project team members. He freely shared not just his considerable knowledge, but his accumulated wisdom on how best to apply it. And he was always glad to help out in whatever way he could,” Mohn’s co-workers wrote.

In 2019, Mohn’s contributions were recognized with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District Outstanding Achievement Award, one of the agency’s highest honors.

“Mike Mohn was a gifted innovator, a consummate professional, an invaluable mentor, and a dear friend. We miss him already and he will always hold a place in our hearts,” his co-workers said.

Middletown Township police Chief Joseph Bartorilla told reporters his department is there for the family and the community impacted by the killing.

“Our hearts go out to the Mohn family,” he said.

The Mohn family has been connected with victim’s advocacy groups.

“The family have a lot of neighbors and friends that really care about them,” Bartorilla said.

“Our thoughts are with the family,” Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said. “This is unimaginable.”

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