Viola E. Mitchell

Born to Edma and Robert Jackson Miller in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada on 26 April 1925. In her early years she resided on a farm near Jacquet River, New Brunswick where her father was a merchant. She was educated in Dalhousie schools until she moved to Montreal, Quebec in 1943. Whil;e working for Canada Insustries in the latter city she was accepted for training at the Homeopathic Hospital of Montreal Training School, graduating from there as a Registered Nurse in 1946. Following granduation she worked as a staff nurse at the hospital for a year before moving to California, where she worked at Hillside Hospital in San Diego while her husband, whom she married in 1946 while he was a medical student at McGill University in Montreal, was doing his internship and residency at Naval Hospital San Diego.

In 1949 they received orders to Kwajalein, Marshall Islands and Viola accompanied him there; in 1950 they moved to Naval Hospital Oakland, California; in 1951 they moved to Washington, D.C. for special duty at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; this was followed by a move to Naples, Italy. In addition to the tour in Italy she also lived in Spain for three years, 1966 to 1969, where Doctor Mitchell was Senior Medical Officer and Commanding Officer of Naval Hospital Rota. During this latter tour she came to be known as "Liz" inasmuch as Viola means to violate in Spanish and is not used as a proper name; thus early friends knew her as "Viola" and later friends as "Liz".

In 1953 came the first of three tours in Pensacola for the family, that tour being 1953 to 1958, and subsequent tours 1960 to 1965 and 1969 to 1992. During these years Viola worked at the Medical Center Clinic as a nurse for several prominent physicians, obtained her master's degree in nursing at the University of West Florida, and was involved with the local Navy medical wive's groups. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Navy Chapel, and several international medical wive's groups.

As a navy wife Viola travelled to every continent except Antarctica and to many of the world's islands. Travelling was her avocation.

Viola was one of twelve children. She is survived by her husband Captain Robert E. Mitchell, MC USN (Retired); her daughter Elizabeth Anne Hargis, R.N. of Pensacola, her son Robert James Mitchell of Aurora, Colorado, her twin sister Violet Isabella Esfakis Rn.N. of Nassau, Bahamas, her youngest sister Myrle Dando Gordon of Saratoga, California, six grandsons and one granddaughter and a myriad of in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 33 East Gregory Street, Pensacola, FL 32502 on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 3pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made out to: Trustees of Columbia University. They can be mailed to: TAUB Institute Office of Development, Columbia University, 100 Hazen Avenue, New York NY 10032 (attn: Ms. Requana).

Oak Lawn Funeral Home has been etrusted with arrangements.