Dr. Robert Elmer Mitchell Jr.

1936 - 2023

Dr. Robert Elmer Mitchell, Jr., age 87, passed away peacefully in his home in Virginia Beach on December 28, 2023. He was predeceased by his wife of nearly 60 years, Dorothy Strine Mitchell, who passed away in 2021.

Bob was born in Jim Thorpe, PA on March 17, 1936, to Dr. Robert and Florence Mitchell. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Philadelphia, PA, and Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, where he was a member of the golf team and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. His mother was a nurse and his father a general practitioner. When Bob was young, his father told him that as a GP he could cure physical ailments, but he could not effectively address his patients' mental health needs. A defining conversation for Bob, this wisdom led him to obtain his M.D. in 1961 from Hannemann Medical College and to become a psychiatrist.

In 1959, Bob and Dotty met on a blind date. They married on June 23, 1962, just before Bob began his residency at the Philadelphia Psychiatric Center. On June 22, 1969, they welcomed their only child, Megan Alexandria Mitchell.

The family moved to Virginia Beach in 1973 when Bob became the Outpatient Mental Health Director for the Mental Health Clinic of Norfolk and Chesapeake. He also served as an assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. In 1977 he, along with several psychiatrists and mental health professionals, established Dominion Psychiatric Associates in Virginia Beach, a private practice providing a full range of mental health services. Bob was integral to the practice's growth and professional development, working to expand mental health services to patients on the Eastern Shore and Elizabeth City. Providing innovative psychiatric and mental health services to the community for over 60 years, Bob was a pioneer in the use of medication and talk therapy to address his patients' mental health needs.

Bob was exceptionally dedicated to his practice and his patients. He was a sharp-minded and sharp-dressed man who worked extremely hard, keeping abreast of advancements in medication and treatment methods. He was trusted and well-respected in the medical community, due to his integrity, work ethic, and the esteem he held for his profession, colleagues, and patients. Bob was a long-time member of the American Psychiatric Association and the Medical Society of Virginia. He served for a time as Chief of the Psychiatry Department of Bayside Hospital and received several professional awards throughout his career, including consistently being named a "Top Doc of Hampton Roads" for psychiatry in Hampton Roads Magazine.

Bob's other passions included spending time in Colorado and in Nags Head with his beloved family. He loved being outside in his garden planting and admiring his roses. He appreciated good jazz, good wine and good food and was a talented chef -- his family constantly suggesting names for the restaurant we all wanted him to open. Bob showcased his cooking at the Mitchell annual professional holiday party, making all the food and transforming the house into a magical Christmas wonderland. He brought so much magic, laughter, and wellbeing to so many lives.

Bob is survived by his daughter, Megan Mitchell Curtiss, his son-in-law, Brian Haynes Curtiss, and his two grandchildren, Evan Mitchell Curtiss, and Lauren Turner Curtiss.

We are grateful for the kindness and compassion of the care providers on "Team Doc" that helped him and us along his journey to his new home.

A celebration of Bob Mitchell's life for all family and friends will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Broad Bay Country Club, 2120 Lords Landing, Virginia Beach.