The Reverend Doctor Donald Leroy Mitchell, Jr. died on 12/21/2024 after a prolonged illness; he was 90 years old. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Marion Hamilton Mitchell; sister, Sally Mitchell Reimold; children Amy Mitchell Meza [Hector Meza, Sr.] and Donald R. Mitchell [LeeAnn Stover]; step-daughters Meghan McCoy and Katie McCoy Harris [Randy Harris]; grandchildren Angela E. Meza, Lilia G. Mitchell, Julian R. Mitchell and Evan McCoy Harris; two sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law, as well as beloved nieces and nephews. Don was preceded in death by his parents – Donald Leroy Mitchell, Sr. and Cora Leventhal Mitchell; his sister Gene M. Ferron; two brothers-in-law, and two nephews – all of whom he talked of frequently and remembered fondly.
Don was born in Waymart, PA in 1934, and was raised from the age of one year in Hazleton, PA. He was the youngest of three children and was blessed with two attentive parents and two older sisters, whom he adored. As a child Don was very engaged in school, the performing arts, and especially sports (baseball/basketball). He always loved learning and was particularly fascinated with the rich diversity of cultural perspectives that he encountered in his hometown, later in college/university, and during his long career as a scholar and Presbyterian minister.
Throughout his life, Don took pleasure in engaging with people from a wide variety of
backgrounds, and he maintained communication with friends and colleagues over the
span of many years or decades.
After graduating from Hazleton High School in 1952, Don completed his undergraduate studies
at Lafayette College in Easton, PA, where he majored in international affairs (government and
history). He was very proud of his Alma Mater and continued to stay in touch with other alumni
and to visit the campus many times throughout his life. In fact, Don served as the Lafayette Class of ’56 Correspondent until recent years when declining health interfered with his capacity to continue in that role.
Upon entering college Don had thought he might pursue a career in medicine, but during the
course of those undergraduate years he began to feel a deep calling to devote his life to the
ministry. Always an excellent student, Don was accepted into Princeton Theological Seminary in
1956. He graduated from Princeton in 1959, with a Bachelor of Divinity and was ordained into the
Ministry of the Word by the New Castle, Delaware Presbytery. He then went on to achieve a Master of Theology degree from Princeton in 1965. In 1986, Don was awarded a Doctor of Ministry from Vanderbilt University’s School of Divinity.
At the start of his ministerial career, Don served as a student pastor and then as installed pastor
in a yoked parish serving two churches in Glasgow, Delaware and Chesapeake City, Maryland. It was at the church in Glasgow where he met his first wife, Cathy. They married in 1958 and became the parents of two children. During his years with the Presbyterian Church (USA), Don also served parishes in Camp Hill, PA; Oil City, PA; Meadville, PA; Ashtabula, OH, Pierpont, OH, Erie, PA, Cambridge Springs, PA, and finally at a historic church in Hunterstown, just outside of Gettysburg, PA. Due to his love for the ministry and his undying interest in theological studies, Don “retired” at least twice before officially retiring in 2012.
Don and his second wife, Marion enjoyed spending time with family and traveling between Wilmington, NC and their home near Gettysburg, PA. Over the years Don and Marion took a number of memorable trips, including a trip to the Holy Land, cruise to the British Isles on the Queen Mary II, an Alaskan cruise, and a 2018 trip to Italy. For years, they made annual trips to Niagara on the Lake, Canada, to enjoy live theatre and to watch the world go by in this beautiful spot.
Don continued to maintain a disciplined schedule of reading/study and written composition well into his 80s, but then entered into a period of gradual physical and cognitive decline due to a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Don’s brilliant mind and physical capability changed dramatically over the course of four to five years – a time during which he stopped doing many of the things he had loved and became completely dependent on the care of others. Throughout much of this time, Don maintained a love of life and food, tenderness toward family members, and a mischievous sense of humor. He will be forever in our hearts – fondly remembered and greatly missed.
A celebration of life will be forthcoming in the New Year. For information or remembrances, please email DonRayneMitchell@gmail.com In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation at CurePSP, or sharing a gift through the Presbyterian Church (USA) Giving Catalog.
