Gwendolyn Mitchell

1931 - 2022

Gwendolyn Mitchell
August 29, 1931 - September 30, 2022
Gwendolyn Van Derbur Mitchell passed away peacefully in her home in Hillsborough, California on September 30th at the age of 91. We attempt to honor and pay respect to her remarkable professional, family-filled, and philanthropic life in the limited space that follows.
Born in Denver, Colorado, Gwen's early honors celebrated her spirit, intelligence and beauty. A member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gwen was chosen homecoming queen of her freshman class at the University of Colorado (Boulder), and subsequently queen of the Winterskol in Aspen, and "Sweetheart of Lambda Chi," as elected among 57 chapterqueens by over 55,000 fraternity men. Not allowing these accolades to distract her, Gwen served on the student newspaper, qualified for honor societies every year in college, then attended law school at the University of Denver, and finished her law degree at the University of Missouri (Kansas City) in 1957. From there she joined the law firm of Henry & Anderson, becoming the first female attorney in Johnson County, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. In June, 1958, due to the rarity of female attorneys, she appeared on the television show, "What's My Line". When the panel finally guessed her legal occupation, panelist Bennett Cerf lamented, "What a terrible waste of beauty!" Further exceeding traditional boundaries, Gwen achieved a private pilot's license in 1973.
Gwen married Robert (Bob) Falkenberg Jr. in 1954 and settled in Kansas City after the completion of Bob's service in the Navy. They raised a family as a dual-career couple, participating in the many sports and scouting activities of their two children. They were married for sixteen years until their divorce. In 1974, Gwen married Ernest "Mitch" Mitchell, moving to Hillsborough, CA. Gwen and Mitch traveled extensively with favorite spots in London and Davos. Their home was a lively and welcoming gathering place for holidays and summer barbecues. Friends and exchange students were plentiful throughout these years. Their marriage lasted 26 years until Mitch's death in 2000. In 2005, Gwen married Fred Farley, and became a frequent poolside cheerleader as Coach Fred trained granddaughter, Natalie, toward her Division I swimming career. Fred passed away in 2013.
After her move to California and passing the California Bar Exam, Gwen continued her practice of law with Stern, Stotter and O'Brien, then Carr McLellan, passionately representing clients ranging from pro-bono to rock stars and hall-of-fame athletes. She ended her working life as a professional fiduciary. Gwen's professional resumé only hints at the remarkable life she lived. An incest survivor, Gwen is described by family as possessing courage, determination and fierceness, while always celebrating love, life and family. She loved the law, community theater and education. She served on numerous non-profit boards and committees including: the Florence Crittenton Home for unwed mothers, where she became board chair of the Kansas City chapter; Peninsula Family Service where she served as board chair and honorary life board member and; Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation as its chairperson. Most notable was that Gwen was deeply committed to serving beyond leadership roles. Throughout her service years at Florence Crittenton, she sponsored unwed mothers in her family home through their months of pregnancy, while managing to be a fantastic mother, loving spouse and a talented attorney. Gwen created two scholarships at the University of Denver, and mentored many of the recipients throughout their college years and beyond. Also an accomplished pianist, her beautiful renditions of "Tenderly" and "Clare de Lune" will forever bring tears to our eyes.
Gwen taught her children and grandchildren to dream big and reach for goals that exceeded expectations. Always with a loving hug, she saw the potential in everyone she guided, and helped each of us to gain a trajectory that we otherwise wouldn't have achieved.
Gwen was simply graceful in life. She never stopped learning, loved to travel and enjoyed meeting people of all ages and backgrounds. Her homemade cherry pie and chocolate chip cookies will never be matched. Simply stated, she taught us all how to live life to its fullest.
She is survived by her son, Robert Falkenberg III (Martha), daughter, Nancy Tuck; stepchildren David Mitchell (Linda), Bill Mitchell (Becca), Fred Mitchell (Barbara), and Susie Mitchell (preceded in death by Tom) ; grandchildren Jacky and Nikki Falkenberg, Tamara Moody, Natalie Tuck, Will and Gavin Mitchell, Garrett, Ryan, Wyatt and Megan Mitchell, Carrie O'Brien, Jim and Tom Hanrahan; great-grandchildren Angelo and Mia Mitchell; and sisters Valerie Horan, Nancy Knowlton and Marilyn Atler.
The family is extremely grateful to Gwen's loving caregivers, Cristina, Lyz, Jiji and Yone, for their exhaustive efforts to keep mom/grandma comfortable during her long battle with dementia. Additionally, they want to recognize and thank Mardy McCurdy for her lifelong friendship, and the joy she brought Gwen with her near-daily calls, cards and homemade fudge.
We will miss her dearly. In lieu of flowers, and given Gwen's lifelong dedication to the underserved, please consider donating to Peninsula Family Services (www.peninsulafamilyservice.org; tax id 94-1186169). A service will be held at 3 pm on November 4, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame.