Jerry Charles Mitchell

Jerry passed away in Sacramento on October 29, 2022, after years bravely facing Parkinson’s disease. Son of David and Sadie Mitchell, his childhood years were in Los Angeles and Van Nuys, California. He loved learning his whole life and became interested in chemistry, which he studied at Cal Tech and through a PHD at Harvard University.

After graduate school, he returned to California to be a polymer research chemist at Shell Development in Emeryville. After working at Shell, he became a professor of chemistry for over twenty years at Sacramento City College, where Jerry was a conscientious and caring teacher.

While in Boston, he met Eleanor Rood whom he married. They left Boston in a snowstorm on route to settle in Northern California, first in Berkeley, then Richmond, then Oakland, before moving to Sacramento in 1972. Wherever they were, he created a loving home with his wife Eleanor, he created a loving home for his children and a welcoming place for many friends and family members. He loved the company of other people.

Jerry had many interests. He enjoyed reading Scientific American, staying in touch with world affairs and culture through PBS and NPR, traveling to all corners of California, the United States, and around the world, learning languages of the places he would visit. He loved nature - he enjoyed hiking and looking at the beauty in mountain, stream, and sea, and was sad to see any tree cut down. He became involved in the nuclear freeze movement to reduce the risk of nuclear war.

Perhaps his biggest passion was music. He attended as many live concerts as he could. From an early age he played the piano, playing Classical music, rag time and jazz. Together with Eleanor he became involved with the ragtime society, where they would dance. He retired a few years early, in large part to devote himself to learning the popular music from the 1890s to 1940s. He then performed this music at homes for the elderly.

Jerry is survived by his wife, Eleanor, son Mark, daughter Samra, grandchildren, Zachary and Ariel, son-in-law Doug, daughter-in-law Shefali.

Funeral services will be held at Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery, 6200 Stockton Boulevard, Wednesday, November 2 at 1 PM. Donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy, Congregation Bnai Israel Carl Naluai Music Fund, the Camelia Symphony, or Parkinson’s Association of Northern California. No flowers please.