Howard Ralph Mitchell

Howard Ralph Mitchell passed away peacefully on May 10th, 2015 with family by his side. He was a talented, passionate man whose memory will forever be cherished by those who knew him. Howard was born on July 11th, 1927 in New York to his parents Herbert and Florence and was the youngest of two children. He grew up with his older sister Leila in New York City, exposed to the flourishing Broadway scene as his father was a prominent photographer of celebrities and stage show performers of the time. His father trained him to be a photographer and for a while they worked together in business. However, Howard found a passion in a different form of art: painting. He taught himself how to paint and kept this hobby throughout his life, having some of his work displayed at local galleries and exhibitions. After graduating high school, he moved to Miami, where he attended a few years of college. His artistic passions led him into designing clothing where he began a career as a textile designer. In the early 1970's he moved to Los Angeles, California where he co-founded his own company and went on to be highly successful in the clothing industry. In addition to success, he found love and his future wife Francesca. Together they had a son, Craig, born in 1984, the same year they were married. In 1988, Howard retired and relocated to Arizona where he would go on to have a second child, Christine, born in 1990. Howard spent the rest of his life devoting himself to his family, his hobbies of painting and sports cars and writing a memoir. At his core he was a kind, generous and loving man whose talents and unique vision were only outmatched by his sense of humor. Howard is preceded in death by his daughter, Christine. He is survived by his son, Craig, his best friend and soul mate, Francesca, four grandchildren and many friends and family members who will miss him dearly. He was truly one of a kind. A memorial service in honor of Howard will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 16th, 2015 at Sunland Mortuary, 15826 Del Webb Blvd., Sun City, AZ. In lieu of flowers donation may be made in Howard’s memory to Hospice of Arizona.