John J.
Mitchell, 96, husband of Patricia E. (Green) Mitchell of South
Bend, Indiana and husband of the late Geraldine F. Mitchell
formerly of Ipswich died January 19, 2016 at home following his
long illness.
Born in Boston
October 5, 1919 he was the oldest of the four children of the
late Perry and Helen (Lane) Mitchell. John was raised in
Brighton, a 1938 graduate in of Brighton High School, also
having attended Boston University. Married in 1941 the Mitchells
made their home in Brighton. Drafted in 1944, he served two
years in Italy and the Philippines with the U.S. Army. Following
his honorable discharge he worked for five years at Hood Rubber
in Watertown. Relocating to Naugatuck, CT where John worked
for the next twenty years at Uniroyal as a Traffic Manager.
John went on to work for Converse Inc. in Wilmington and then to
Allied Chemical /Bendix Corp. in South Bend, IN as Director of
Transportation from which he retired.
John was an avid
vegetable gardener, he loved photography, was a collector of
Lionel model trains, was a ham radio operator and loved his
many cats. He was a former member of the Elks Lodge and Civil
Defense organizations while he lived in Connecticut. He was a
communicant of Christ the King Catholic Church in South Bend,
IN.
In addition, to
his wife Patricia of thirty-four years, he is survived by his
son Richard Mitchell and wife Judy of Ipswich; three daughters,
Gerry Mitchell of Ipswich, Maureen Mitchell-Duncan of
Gloucester, Sheila Dawson-Elward and her husband Jerry Elward of
Wells, ME; step sons, Michael Mitchell of South Bend, IN, Andrew
Golden of NC; a step daughter, Cheryl Hughes of NH; eleven
grandchildren, Lynn Bennett of and Brenda Van der Toorn both
of AZ, Bonnie Solis of CT, Larry Mitchell of FL , Michael
Dawson of Rowley, Frank Dawson of Fall River, Cameron Dawson
of Wells ME, Ryan and Michelle Mitchell both of Ipswich,
Travis and Daniel Duncan both of Essex and eight great
grandchildren. John was predeceased by three sons, George
Mitchell and Jack Mitchellof both of NY and Michael Mitchell
of Ipswich.
His funeral will
be held 8 am Wednesday, January 27 from the Whittier-Porter
Funeral Home, 6 High Street followed by the celebration of a
Funeral Mass of Christian Burial 9:00 am in Our Lady of Hope
Church, Pineswamp Road, Ipswich. Family and friends are
respectfully welcomed. Interment with Military Honors will be
in the Cowles Memorial Cemetery.