Peter Mitchell

Peter Mitchell, 83, of Reading, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at home on August 6, 2025. Peter was known to all for his peaceful demeanor, his wise words, his contagious laugh, his funny habits, and his wide-ranging interests. He was a unique spirit whose calm presence made an impression on everyone that met him; he made a long-lasting impact for good in many people's lives. He was born in Pontiac, Michigan in 1941 to the late Donald Allister Mitchell and Lucille (Murphy) Mitchell. Peter attended Valley Forge Military Academy before graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Villanova University, going on to work in computer programming for his career, both professionally and socially in helping out in community work for computer literacy, digital preservation, and web hosting. Peter met his wife and the love of his life Christine Barrett Mitchell in 1972 when he picked her up hitchhiking in New Jersey; from that moment on, they spent the rest of their lives together. They were married for 53 years. Peter was a beloved and loving father, and leaves behind children Jeannie Stratton of Lafayette, Colorado, Lisa Statler and husband David Statler of Temple, PA, and Jeremy Mitchell and wife Melanie (Ritter) Mitchell of Mt. Penn, PA, and was predeceased by son John Mitchell. He also leaves behind two brothers, Donald Allister Mitchell and wife Claudia Mitchell of Newtown, CT, and Charles "Chuck" Mitchell and his wife, residing in the Philippines. He was affectionately known as P-Pop to his grandchildren Joshua and wife Bernice, Elias, Ruth, Hannah, Sitara, Sara, Christopher, and Lille and Onata. He had two great-grandchildren, Javian and Micah. He also leaves behind extended family in Florida as well as beloved members of the Barrett family with brothers and sisters in law, nieces and nephews. He leaves a lasting legacy in all of their memories. Peter was well known in his community due to the many interests that he held and the ways that he contributed to and supported the arts, culture, and spiritual communities. He and Christine were full time adventurers, never afraid of new experiences and travel; together, they were always finding ways to express their love of music and fun. He was involved for many years in local music playing recorders with the Renaissance musical group Angelica Consort. After retiring from his computer programming work, he became even more involved in the community. He became a co-founder of the T.E.A. Factory in Reading, PA, in 2012, a community space for music and the arts. He led meditation groups at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reading, PA, and touched many people's lives with his simple and loving approach to mindfulness. He explored art in his later years in his paintings, calligraphy, and poetry. After Christine's retirement they bought an RV and spent time traveling across the United States before settling in Florida for a few years. They returned to the Reading area in 2023 to be closer to family. Peter touched many lives in a variety of circles of interest throughout his life. He was a patient and loving husband and father, reliable in his presence and accepting of everyone. He also had a funny side that came out through his love of anime, his tin-foil hat, his notoriously strong, dark, coffee, his erratic sleep schedule that knew neither day nor night, his ability to nap in a loud and noisy room, his tendency to answer "yes I am" to whatever question was put before him, his introducing himself as "nobody," even in the most serious of circumstances, and the strange food and drink combinations that he thrived on. There was no one quite like Peter Mitchell, and anyone who knew him would emphatically agree. He will be remembered fondly and with great love. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 11 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Dunn Community Center in Exeter, PA. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Peter Mitchell, please visit our floral store.