Isobel “Icky” Vaughn Mitchell passed away on Independence Day, her favorite family holiday, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, surrounded by loved ones. Isobel treasured music and family above all, and brought her sharp wit, sparkling blue eyes and firecracker spirit to everything she did.
Isobel was born May 24, 1938 in Springfield, Missouri to Henton Boone Vaughn and Marian Frances Knight, and was a direct descendant of Daniel Boone. She was an accomplished equestrian, competing in the championship division of the American Horse Show against male riders. Isobel was also a skilled and passionate pianist, traveling great distances to learn at a young age, and earning recognition throughout her life.
Isobel graduated from the University of Missouri in 1959, where she majored in music and was a proud Kappa Alpha Theta. In 1960, Isobel married her college sweetheart, James Paul Mitchell. Isobel spent three exciting years in the U.S. Navy with Jim, where she relished learning the hula in Hawaii and beamed at being greeted with a naval salute. In 1965, Jim and Isobel settled in Chatham, New Jersey, where they raised two boys and became deeply invested in the community for more than 50 years.
Isobel parlayed her love of music into the Chatham Community Players (CCP) and Overlook Musical Theatre, as a piano accompanist and musical director. Her outstanding individual contributions earned her CCP’s esteemed Shipler and Dawley awards. Isobel taught scores of children piano and performed in musical groups like the Camera Singers Trio.
Isobel was a Bergdorff realtor for more than 25 years, a copywriter for Prentice Hall, and served as the President of the Historical Society, the Garden Club, and the PTO. She also participated in the Delbarton School Mother’s Guild, volunteered at the hospital, cheered on her kids at Fish & Game swim meets and enjoyed the occasional break at Canoe Brook Country Club. Isobel made the world’s best pies and fried chicken, a nod to her Missouri roots and mother’s cooking.
Isobel and Jim retired to Orleans, Massachusetts in 2016, basking in the natural beauty, walking their rescue poodle, Daisy, delighting in dinners on the deck with visiting family, and laughing at the antics of their five grandchildren. Isobel is survived by her husband of nearly 60 years, James P. Mitchell; her son, Jim Mitchell and wife Katie of Darien, Connecticut; her son Andy Mitchell and wife Lisa of Middlebury, Vermont. She also leaves five grandchildren, Abigail, Jamie, Teddy, Jake and Billy, and beloved dog Daisy.
A small service will be held on Sunday, July 21 at 11:00 am at the Orleans Cemetery, followed by a reception at the Captain Linnell House in Orleans, MA from 12:00-2:00 pm. For more details and to RSVP, e-mail: [email protected].
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals (ASPCA), a cause dear to Isobel’s heart: http://bit.ly/ASPCAIsobelMemorial. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.
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