Richard L. Mitchell

1940 - 2016

Richard was an explorer in both his professional and personal life. He worked as an engineer for The Boeing Company for 20 years followed by several consulting companies, which brought him all across the US from Seattle to New Orleans, Washington DC to Hawaii, and Denver, where he eventually settled. He also spent several years in Europe consulting with Norwegianowned Statoil in England, Scotland, Germany and Norway. Specialized in health, safety and the environment, Richard broke records and set new standards for ensuring workplace safety for employees. Some of his most cherished professional experiences included working on an offshore derrick barge in the Gulf of Mexico, contributing to the design and construction of a $2-billion refinery in Norway, and consulting on the installation of a 1000-foot offshore drill rig for Shell Oil. When he wasn't spending his time working in leading edge technology, he was in the mountains skiing, trail hiking, climbing, caving and exploring. In the first half of his life, he taught mountaineering and skiing, was a member of the Seattle Mountain Rescue Council and the National Ski Patrol, and led a 35-day expedition to the top of Mount McKinley (Denali). He also later became a prominent figure among cavers given his invention of a new cave vertical ascending system, "The Mitchell System", which he used to ascend the deepest pit in North America. He is under consideration by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only individual to have both descended the deepest pit and ascended the highest peak in North America. Richard was an explorer and a traveler, a friend and a husband, a father of four, and a grandfather of three. He is survived by his wife, Lynn Della Guardia of Brighton, Colorado; daughter, Kristy Mitchell Mayes of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; daughter, Wendy Mitchell-Covington of Treasure Island, Florida; son, Scott Mitchell of Lake Charles, Louisiana; daughter, Paige Mitchell of Denver, Colorado; granddaughter, Kelsey Mayes of Baton Rouge; grandson, Mason Mayes of Baton Rouge; and grandson, Carson Covington of Treasure Island, Florida. He will be dearly missed. Donations can be offered to The National Speleological Society at caves.org.