Arthur Allen Muka

Arthur Allen Muka, 98, Emeritus Professor at Cornell University, passed away on Wednesday, 12/7/22, at the Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca.  He is predeceased by his parents, Michael S. and Lena Collis Muka (Leyden, MA), and his brother, Lewis R. Muka (Leyden, MA).

Art was born in Adams, MA, and later moved to a dairy farm in Leyden, MA, where he attended his first 8 grades in a one-room rural grammar school.  He graduated in 1942 from Greenfield High School.  While in high school, during early WWII, Art served as an “aircraft spotter” early warning volunteer.  Following high school graduation, he served his country in WWII in the V-5 Naval Aviation Pilot Training Command until the end of the war.

On the GI Bill he earned a B.S. degree in entomology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1950. He then attended Cornell University, where he earned his M.S. in 1952 and Ph.D. in 1954 in entomology.  Art met Betty Oakes, while they were both graduate students at Cornell, and they were married in September 1952.

From 1954-1956 Art was appointed as an assistant professor and associate researcher at the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, VA.  There he specialized in teaching and applied research.  Cornell recruited Art to return in 1956 as an Assistant Professor of Entomology, where he rose to Associate Professor and then full Professor within 6 years.  He was granted with an “Emeritus” status in 1988 when he retired.  During his 32-year career at Cornell, Art served as an applied economic entomologist conducting field research and developing insect control strategies for the vegetable, field and forage crops industries of New York State.  Art founded and was the executive secretary of the Northeast Agriculture Aviation Conference Program at Cornell from 1965-1990.

Art engaged in numerous professional international travels, including a one-year contract as a Rockefeller Foundation Visiting Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Philippines, from 1965-1966. Art, Betty and their five children lived in Los Baños for that year.  While they were there, scientists at the Rice Institute released “Miracle Rice”, which eventually changed the Philippines from a rice importing nation to a rice exporting nation.  As a world traveler, Art enjoyed arranging and hosting hospitality rooms at national and international meetings for Cornell University alumni and entomologists in many foreign countries.  He instilled his love for travel and meeting people from other countries into his five children, who have all traveled internationally and instilled this love into their own children.

Art was a very active member of the Ithaca, Lansing and Cornell local communities, as well.  He was a volunteer fireman for the Cayuga Heights Fire Department for 25 years, including serving several years as captain, a long-time member and past president of the Ithaca Cayuga Rotary Club, the past local chapter president of the Experimental Aircraft Association and was a past president and board member of the East Hill Flying Club.  He served as the first Cub Master of Pack 4 Boy Scouts and helped his two sons achieve their Eagle Scout badge.  He was one of the founding charter members of the St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church and for several years Art was a VISTA Volunteer in the Northeast and Cayuga Heights Elementary Schools, teaching entomology, aviation and aerology.

Having grown up on a working dairy farm, he was a hard worker and an avid gardener.  He taught his children these skills and much more. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, working around the home, building, camping and hiking.  Above all, he enjoyed passing his knowledge and skills on to his children and grandchildren.  Much quality time was spent with his children and wife while working on 4-H, Boy Scout and Camp Fire Girl projects.  Most importantly, he enjoyed meeting people and making friends from all over the world; he made an effort to keep in touch with these friends throughout the years.  In college he was called “the man with the plan.” He always knew where he was going and how to get there.  He will be missed by his entire loving family and his many friends.

Art leaves behind his loving wife of 70 years, Betty Oakes Muka, and their five children, Diane Duthie and her husband, William Duthie, of Lansing, NY; Stephen Muka and his wife, Cheryl Hall Muka, of Cortland, NY; Christopher Muka of Newfield, NY; Martha Ives and her husband, Jeffrey Ives, of Arvada, CO; and Deborah de Amorim of Sarasota, FL.  He has twelve loving grandchildren: John Duthie of Lansing, NY; Dan Duthie of Pittsburgh, PA; Philip Muka and his fiancé, Natalie Helen Lynch, of Virgil, NY; Natalie Muka Peppel and her husband, Geoffrey, of Cortland, NY; Kelsey Muka and her husband, Jesus Perez, of Alexandria, VA; Haleigh Muka and her husband, Gil Urena, of Conifer, CO; Nathan Muka of Brooklyn, NY; Graham Ives and his fiancé, Nick Loui, of Los Angeles, CA; Megan Ives of Denver, CO; Joel Ives of Superior, CO; RJ Wilcox of Colorado Springs, CO, and Brittany Wilcox of Sarasota, FL; as well as cousins, nieces and nephews.

The funeral service for Art will be held on Wednesday, 12/14/22, at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, 309 Siena Dr, Ithaca, NY, at 11:00 a.m.  A reception for family and friends will follow the funeral service in Mahler Hall, located in the Parish Center.

Contributions may be made to the St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church, Boy Scouts of America or the Ithaca Cayuga/Lansing Rotary Club in Art’s memory for his many years of service to these valued community organizations.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca, NY.  Online condolences may be made to Art’s family at www.bangsfuneralhome.com.