John Grayson Mitchell

John Mitchell, age 86, died on February 9, 2023 at the Elcor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Horseheads after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

John was born in Lubec, Maine on April 18, 1936, a son of the late James and Hazel (nee Ryder) Mitchell. Upon graduating from Lubec High School, he obtained his electrical engineering degree from the University of Maine in Orono. His fraternity was Beta Theta Pi. He worked at Northern Controls in Orono designing control systems for private companies, colleges, and military establishments. He worked on a project for Cornell University and fell in love with the Finger Lakes area, when he left Northern Controls he relocated to Ithaca and was quickly hired at NCR as an engineer. His work was his love and he received multiple patents for his designs. The people he worked with referred to him fondly as their resident genius. He was at NCR until his retirement. His hobbies were white water canoeing and building his own canoes, fishing, hunting and camping. After relocating his family to the Finger Lakes area, horses became something he enjoyed with his family, joining the Lake Country Horseman's Association. He had a great love of music and musical theater. John had the opportunity to travel all over the world to many countries with his wife, for business and pleasure, he loved to travel. He walked miles every day and lifted weights to keep healthy up to the time of his illness. John was a kind and compassionate man and will be greatly missed by his family.

He is survived by his wife Doris Mahar Mitchell, his daughters; Lori Mitchell of Ovid, Kimberly (Roger) Walton of Cibolo Texas, his grandchildren; Hope Mitchell of Ovid, Mackenzie and Garrett Walton, and his great grandson Jayden, all of Cibolo Texas. His sister-in-law Marion Cox of Westfield Massachusetts and Joan Mahar of Ithaca and niece Shannon. He was preceded in death by his brother Tom of Maine, Arizona and Alaska.  

A Memorial Service will be held at Covert Funeral Home in Ovid, NY at 4:00pm on Friday February 17, 2023, officiated by Rev. Rob Mellgard of the Ovid Federated Church.  Kindly consider a donation in John’s memory to the Alzheimer's Association or the Ovid Federated Church.

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