Jerry Ray Mitchell

Jerry Mitchell, 72, passed away on December 5th 2017 surrounded by his family.  We lost a father,
husband, and one of the kindest, most honest, and respectable men you could ever hope to meet.  He
was a loving husband of 45 years to Ramona Mitchell, and father to son Jason Mitchell, and daughter
Lauren Mitchell.

Jerry grew up in extreme poverty in West Virginia, but worked hard to overcome many obstacles and
make a good life for himself and his family. As a young man, he was sent to war in Vietnam halfway
around the world to a place he had never heard of, but he served his country honorably in the 11th
Cavalry (Blackhorse Regiment). Following that, he had a long career working for 40 years as a letter
carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, often working extended hours 6 days a week.

Although he had few educational opportunities growing up, he learned all that he could on his own and
achieved a college degree. He was self-sufficient and liked to find innovative ways to solve
problems. If something broke, he always seemed to be able to fix it. His favorite sports team was the
Yankees, and he knew that wearing his Yankees cap would always elicit a strong positive or negative
reaction and interesting baseball discussions with people he met. His favorite activity was bowling,
and he enjoyed bowling in two leagues. Just a few weeks ago, even though his illness sapped his
strength, he proudly bowled a 232. Jerry was a wonderful father to his son and daughter, teaching
them everything and always setting a good example with a life well lived. They were the love and joy
of his life, and he tried to be the father to them that he never had for himself.
He will be buried in Crownsville Veterans Cemetery on Monday December 11th, followed by a private
family gathering to celebrate his life.

Donations in his memory may be made to Sacred Heart Children's Center,
P. O. Box 1581
Clarksburg, WV 26302-1581
http://www.sacredheartchildrenscenter.org/donate/
or
11th Armored Cavalry's Veterans of Vietnam & Cambodia Scholarship Fund
http://www.11thacr.com/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=d1