John attended Carbon College in Price, UT. He also attended the University of Utah but left formal education to work for the New Remington Arms Plant in Salt Lake City, UT until he was transferred to the E.I. DuPont Corp. to work on the secret U.S. Government project at Hanford, WA.
John joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 and served as a Fireman, First Class, aboard the USS Omaha and was honorably discharged in 1946. Following his discharge, he worked eight years as the head machinist for Schafer Brothers Saw Mill in Aberdeen, WA.
In 1954, John incorporated MAR Hook and Equipment, Inc. In 1956, he opened Mitchell's Machine Shop in Aberdeen, WA. John received 16 patents in the USA and Canada for his automatic releasing hooks, log grapples, and various other equipment used in the logging industry. In 1978, he moved the MAR Hook production plant to Sandy, OR. In 1985, he opened Mitchell RV at the Sandy location, primarily selling travel trailers and truck campers. In December 1999, the businesses were closed after more than 45 years.
John was an active member of the Methodist Church in Aberdeen, WA and Gresham, OR for more than 60 years. He was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 180 in Gresham, OR. In 1990, he served as the Commodore of the Tyee Yacht Club in Portland, OR.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Gwen Mitchell, his sister Mary Ellen Blucher of Grand Junction, CO, his children JD (Bonnie) of Gresham, OR, Vaughn of Los Molinos, CA, Kathleen Hill (Bob) of Satsop, WA, and Kameron (Rosalie) of Vancouver, WA, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
A public viewing will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20th from 10:00AM until 4:00PM at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home, 520 W. Powell Blvd., Gresham, OR. John's active life will be celebrated with a Memorial Service at the United Methodist Church, 620 NW 8th Street, Gresham, OR on Monday, Oct. 22nd at 11:00AM, with a reception following. His graveside service will be held at the Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, OR at 2:00PM the same day. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Heart Association or the United Methodist Church, Gresham, OR.
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