Obituaries » Jeffrey N. Mitchell
Jeffrey N. Mitchell
September 4, 1949 - October 28, 2022
Jeff Mitchell, 73, passed away Friday, October 28, 2022, at Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center, where he received extraordinary care during his final three months of life.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at Memorial Services of Iowa (4208 N. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA). A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, November 3, 2022, at Lutheran Church of Hope Ankeny (502 NW 36th Street, Ankeny, IA).
Jeff was born in Altoona, Iowa, on September 4, 1949. He was a resident of the Des Moines area most of his life, with shorter stays in California and Florida. He served in the Marines and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a proud Marine but struggled with the tumultuous political unrest when he returned state-side. He received a service medal for his sharpshooting rifle marksmanship.
He married Susan Diehl January 21, 1989, at St. James Lutheran Church in Johnston, Iowa. Susan was immediately blessed with stepchildren Lisa and Ken Mitchell. In 1994, Jeff and Susan welcomed Jessica into their lives from halfway around the world, South Korea. Jessica could bring a smile to his face when nobody else could and she has picked up his same wittiness and quick humor.
Jeff was a one-of-a-kind guy who loved to throw out one-liners and act silly with his siblings. He enjoyed playing cards and often was a fierce competitor. He pulled the family’s various campers around the country, with Susan and Jessica and often his mother-in-law. He appreciated the beauty found in waking up to start the day inside many national parks. Jeff had a green thumb and loved sharing his vegetable garden harvests with his siblings and friends. In recent years, he adored spending time with his two granddaughters, Kailey and Raven, and his great-granddaughter Willow. He was able to understand that Willow is going to have a little sister, Piper, to be born soon.
Left with great memories are his wife of 33 years, Susan; daughters, Jessica Belloma (Adam) and Lisa Mitchell Johnson; son Ken Mitchell; granddaughters Kailey Johnson and Raven West (Korben); great-granddaughter Willow West and soon-to-be-born, Piper West.
Out of a family of nine siblings, he has five surviving siblings: Ed Mitchell, Kathy DeCarlo (Pat), Chris Mitchell (Debbie), Shane Mitchell (Diane), and Liz Curtis (Jeff).
He is preceded in death by his sisters, Judy Keller and Patty Duncan, and his brother, Kelly Mitchell.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Lutheran Church of Hope in Ankeny.