Thomas Mitchell, Jr.

1930 - 2024

Thomas Oliver Mitchell, Jr. passed away on May 27, 2024 after a long illness. He was born on June 29, 1930, in San Francisco, California to Thomas Oliver Mitchell, senior, and Ethel Schultz Mitchell. He was an only child and grew up in Mill Valley California, where he attended Tamalpais High School and was the starting pitcher his senior year when his team won the league championship. As a result he was invited to try out for the San Francisco Seals. When he was asked years later why he stopped after a few days, he said " Every pitch I tried to throw they could hit."
After the start of the Korean War he volunteered for the Marine Corps and was deployed to Korea where he was assigned to the first division, 11th regiment. After his return to the United States he was assigned to duty in Dallas, Texas where he met and married Nancy Lorene Chadwick. After discharge from the service they moved to San Francisco, California where he attended San Francisco State College on the GI Bill and earned his teaching degree. In 1958, after graduation he took a teaching job at Lodi High School where he taught U.S. Government and Mechanical Drawing until retirement.
He is preceded in death by his wife Nancy, and by their daughter Julia Grace Merlo. He is survived by his children John (Sally), Leigh Kielhold (Gary) and Matthew, seven grandchildren; Sarah Boye, Aaron Mitchell, David Mitchell, Catherine Merlo, Cal Kielhold, Phillip Merlo, and Kirstin Kielhold, as well as four great-grandchildren; Lucy and Cora Boye, and Harper and Gavin Mitchell.