James Howard Mueller, 91, of Winchester, VA passed away Monday, September 20, 2021 at Winchester Medical Center.

Jim was born in 1930 in Birmingham, AL to the late Charles J. and Gertrude A. Madsen Mueller. He received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and served our country in the United States Navy and Army. James Mueller is a prototypic engineering entrepreneur. After working in the industry for nearly 20 years with Research-Cotrell and General Electric, he set out to build his own company. In 1971, he founded Regenerative Environmental Equipment Company, Inc. (REECO), and served as president until 1990, when it was acquired by Air & Water Technologies Corporation. Under his leadership and with no outside capita, REECO has become the world’s largest supplier of energy efficient thermal oxidizers. Environmental regulatory agencies consider RECCO’s technology to the “the best available control technology” for air toxics. He designed, patented, and developed the RE-THERM, a pioneering regenerative incineration system that efficiently destroys volatile organic compounds form process exhausts and has exceptional fuel economy. His patents relate to pollution control equipment, energy conservation, and hydromechanical devices. His innovations have improved the quality of life of people around the world who live and work in proximity of sources in industrial pollution. Today RECCO is an international company with joint ventures in Australia, Denmark, Germany, and Italy. Mueller has published technical articles and authored a book chapter on heat recovery. A member of the Alumni Board of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at UIUC, he was honored with the department’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989.

Jim married Sigrid Peluso on September 3, 1972 in Maywood, NJ.

He is survived by his wife, Sigrid; children, Alisa Sampedro (J.D.) of Leesburg, VA, Eric V. Mueller (Lee) of Richmond Hill, GA and stepson, Michael Peluso (Joyce) of Fair Lawn, NJ; grandchildren, Gabriella Larson (Josh) of Raleigh, NC, Annika Sampedro of Leesburg, VA, Dominic Sampedro of Leesburg, VA, Jason Mueller of Atlanta, GA, Marla Flanagan (Robert) of Fair Lawn, NJ, Kurt Peluso (Linda) of Fair Lawn, NJ, Jennifer Peluso of Arlington VA  and Gary Peluso (Nicole) of Fair Lawn, NJ; great grandchildren, Austin Peluso, Dean Peluso, James Flanagan, Parker Flanagan and Mattina Peluso; sister, Kathleen M. Schulke of Phoenix, AZ.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents and stepson, David Peluso.

A service for Jim will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 11am at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel. A reception will follow the service at Omps Amherst Reception Center. Officiating will be Rev. Elizabeth Lewis.

Memorial contributions in Jim’s memory may be made to: SVWC Scholarship Fund at Westminster Canterbury, 300 Westminster Canterbury Drive, Winchester, VA  22603 or Sunshine Acres Children’s Home, 3405 N. Higley Road, Mesa, AZ 85215 (www.sunsineacres.org).