Luke James Mitchell

Luke James Mitchell

AGE: 30 • Ocean Grove

Luke James Mitchell, 30, of Ocean Grove, NJ, passed away November 17, 2015 surrounded by his immediate family. He waged a courageous and relentless battle with valvular heart disease. He was predeceased by his father, David I. Mitchell in 2005. Luke is survived by his mother, Roberta Reaser Mitchell, of Ocean Grove; brother Matthew and wife, Rachel, of Drexel Hill, PA; brother Mark and wife, Alison, of Little Silver, NJ; maternal grandmother, Helen Reaser, of Ocean Grove, NJ; and five nieces and nephews: Meredith, Ethan, Elijah, Ella, and Samuel. A graduate of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Rowan University, and the Keiser University College of Golf, Luke was completing his internship as an Assistant Golf Professional at Hanover Country Club in New Hampshire and was well on his way to becoming a PGA Teaching Professional. From birth, Luke never let his congenital heart defect slow him down. He was a superior athlete, immersing himself fully in baseball, bowling, surfing, skateboarding, tennis, golf and football. He spent nearly every waking second watching, researching, practicing, and participating in these sports. Luke will be remembered by many for creating elaborate contraptions from scrap and duct tape and blue string to help bring these sporting endeavors to life. One of Luke's two true loves was surfing. He was always in search of that perfect long right ride. He never missed a moment to share and enjoy surfing experiences with family, friends, and strangers. Luke had a decade-long relationship with the Eastern Lines Surf Shop, where he was a star salesperson, a member of their competitive surf team, and an extremely dedicated surf instructor (family and friends will remember his knack for tenacious teaching). Luke was able to visit and surf in many noted surfing destinations including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and San Diego. Luke also had a deep love of golf which evolved from a close relationship with his father, the late David Mitchell. He was unbelievably driven, once having created his own practice golf course in open spaces around Ocean Grove and a putting green in his man-cave. Luke made a difficult decision to pursue his dream of being a golf pro, and we now know that he is at peace having made this right choice. Luke was very loved and had an amazingly positive effect on his family and friends. The world will miss his creative fun, witty attitude, infectious smile and laughter, Luke shared this joy with everyone. Visitation will be Saturday from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 80 Embury Ave Ocean Grove. A Funeral Service will begin at 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, his family kindly requests donations be made in Memory of Luke Mitchell to Surfrider Foundation, Jersey Shore Chapter, PO Box 760, Belmar, NJ 07719. To send a condolence message, please visit www.oceangrovememorialhome.com. The Ocean Grove Memorial Home is in charge of arrangements.