Obituary of Robert Francis Mitchell

Robert Francis Mitchell passed away at the age of 82 on December 17, 2011 at his home in Norwich, Vermont. He was born on August 16, 1929 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York. He was enrolled in Our Lady of Angels grammar school, graduated from Regis High School in 1946 at the age of sixteen, earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at Georgetown University in 1949, and attained a juris doctor at Fordham Law School in 1952. He was an extraordinarily loyal and patriotic man, serving as a lawyer for the United States Army during the Korean War and being stationed in South Korea. His family shared a long history of military service, one uncle having been buried at Arlington National Cemetery after being killed by sniper fire in the First World War. Following his return home, he first worked in New York City at a private law firm and then for twenty five years as a senior attorney for Chesebrough-Ponds, both in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. He became a money manager after his retirement from the legal profession, pursuing a lifelong interest in Wall Street and the stock market. He was occasionally interviewed on CNBC about his perspective on the market and spoke several times to groups at the Princeton Club of New York. He ran for Congress in New York State in the late 1960's, aware that he was a sacrificial candidate but determined to help the new Conservative Party at its inception. To this end he also volunteered to fly Republican candidates around the state during election campaigns. He was a lifelong Republican and served as chairman of the Norwich Finance Committee until his failing health induced him to resign. Robert was an avid golfer, having played at the Westchester Country Club from a young age. He was also an enthusiastic runner, taking up the sport around age forty and participating in races for more than forty years. In his later years, finding the races increasingly strenuous, he would start an hour earlier than the other participants and walk the course. He expected to soon be overtaken by the younger runners but thoroughly enjoyed the experience, often joking about the improved odds being the only participant in his age category. He proudly displayed his impressive collection of ribbons and medals. He became a pilot, asserting that he decided to earn his license after his short game in golf started to deteriorate. He occasionally loaned his plane out to federal agents who used it to try to intercept drug traffickers. He often flew his family up to Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, VT in his twin engine Aztec airplane. He enjoyed having his wife ski with him for companionship - so long as she did not get good enough to leave him in the dust. Robert had many cultural interests. He was a skilled pianist and was able to play any song by ear. He was a prolific reader, especially of books dealing with military history, and wrote a novel himself. He was also a wine enthusiast and a proud member of the 5W's, being affectionately referred to by members of the wine tasting group as "councilor or consigliore". He was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in 2005 but didn't allow it to interfere with his "to do list" throughout the years, only really being slowed down in the last few months of his life. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jane and his sister, Jean Leverte, his nine children and fourteen grandchildren. He was predeceased my his sister Lilyann Porter.