Michael George Mitchell

Michael George Mitchell, who earned a doctorate from Yale University in 1990 at the age of 75, becoming one of their oldest doctoral recipients, has died in his 94th year of age in Norwalk, Connecticut. He married Dorothy Kanitz, the premier saleswoman of the year at New York Life Insurance Company, in 1964. They were married 45 years.

Dr. Mitchell shared his enthusiasm for medieval history and his dedication to lifelong education by working as an instructor of very popular history courses at Norwalk Community College''s Lifetime Learning Institute. He was also a docent for many years, logging 5,650 hours, at the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk, where he instilled in young children a love for ocean life.

After World War II Michael Mitchell began a new life as a penniless immigrant widower from Budapest, Hungary, after a several-years forced waiting period in Havana, Cuba, where he worked as a grocer. In New York City he simultaneously raised his young child, found work as an accountant, and enrolled in City College of New York, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He worked in the maritime industry, eventually becoming president of Penn Shipping Company. After the dissolution of the company he retired and enrolled at Yale University. He was a gifted linguist, fluent in Hungarian, German, French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as Latin and Greek.

He is survived by his wife Dorothy, of Norwalk, CT, his daughter Mary Elgabalawi of Altadena, CA; his sister Catherine Freund of Norwalk; his stepdaughters Gabriela Pellinger of Savannah, GA and Kathleen Kenney-Baskin of Menlo Park, CA; his grandsons Michael, Victor, and Christian Elgabalawi of Altadena, CA; grandchildren Bryan, Brooks and Kristen Baskin and Andrea Zuckerman, and great-grandchildren Ariana, Alonso, and Julien.

A memorial service will be held at a later date to be arranged.

For further information please contact his daughter Mary Elgabalawi at maryelgab@gmail.com