Frederic Lockwood Mitchell Jr., DO, FAAO, FCA

Fred L. Mitchell Jr., D.O., FAAO, FCA, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Monday, July 21, 2025. He was 96 years old, and in basically good health.

Born on January 10, 1929, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he was the only child of Fred Mitchell Sr. and Margaret Shacklett. He attended Baylor Military Academy in Chattanooga, earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, engaged in research on Behavioral Psychology at Kent State University, and then went on to receive his Doctor of Osteopathy from the Chicago College of Osteopathy in 1959.

Soon after graduation from medical school, Fred married Carol Parsch. They lived in Chattanooga for several years, where Fred shared a practice with his father. In 1964, he took a faculty position at the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine. He taught there until 1973, and then went to teach at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He and Carol lived the rest of their lives in their beautiful home in East Lansing, Michigan.

He was very prominent in the osteopathic field as he and his father had developed the most widely used manual therapy method in osteopathic medicine, muscle energy technique (MET). The development of MET heralded a vanguard in the science and practice of osteopathic manipulative therapy, and he introduced it into the curriculum at the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1964, and then in 1972 wrote and published the first text on the subject. He served as president of the Cranial Academy, was very prominent within the American Academy of Osteopathy, and was widely regarded as a leading educator and researcher in the profession. His definitive textbook on muscle energy technique continues to serve as a cornerstone of osteopathic education worldwide, and he taught courses all over the world.

He was also a very accomplished jazz-pianist and bassist. While in medical school in Chicago in the late '50s, he was an active member of the jazz scene, and played with many well-known musicians, in addition to working with the Compass Players, who soon evolved into The Second City improvisational theater.

He is survived by his two sons, Miles and Kai, their spouses, Sandra and Rojie, and his grandchildren: Iain, Isak, Rojana, Kaia, and Mathius. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Carol, who passed just a few years earlier.

His legacy endures not only in the medical field but also in the hearts of those who knew him as a compassionate healer, devoted teacher, and musician.

A funeral service for Dr. Mitchell will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM, with a one-hour prior visitation from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home East Chapel, 1730 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823. Following the service, Dr. Mitchell will be laid to rest in Glendale Cemetery, 2500 Mt Hope Rd., Okemos, MI 48864.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dr. Mitchell's memory may be made to the American Academy of Osteopathy, 3500 DePauw Blvd., Suite 1100, Indianapolis, IN 46268-1136.