Dorothy L Mitchell

Born Dorothy Lynelle Hancock, June 12. 1922, in Dallas. Dorothy graduated from Dallas Technical High School in 1940 with a concentration of commercial and graphic art. Dorothy, known as “Dottie Babe” by her closest girl-friends, married Norbon Eugene (Gene) Mitchell, also of Dallas, in June of 1942.

During the War Years, Dorothy, worked for the Navy as an X-ray technician at Hensley Field, Dallas. Upon war’s end, Dorothy and Gene moved into “Trailorville” on the campus of SMU along with hundreds of other GI families. While Gene attended classes at SMU, Dorothy took time to take several SMU art classes too. Before Gene graduated in 1951, Dorothy’s little family had grown to four children – which presented challenges, unique to the time and place for the GI families of Trailorville.

In 1956 the Mitchell Family moved from Dallas to Fort Worth where they took up roots and were all proud to be called Fort Worthians. Dorothy was a loving and attentive mother and for the most part, a homemaker, though to help make ends meet from time to time, she did find work as a sales clerk at the “Fair” department store, and for a while worked for the Arlington News doing artwork in their advertising department. On several occasions, she was a helping hand to Gene on many of his endeavors – doing artwork, sales calls and anything else to help out.

Above all else, Dorothy was an artist, her nature was to see everything in life as components of color and form and to recognize the beauty of all things. She lived for a few years in New Mexico in the 1980’s, spending all her time there studying art and painting. Dorothy was also very musical, teaching herself to play the piano – she could deftly play, her versions of her favorite gospel songs as well as many Broadway show tunes. In later years, she delighted all the members of the family with her hand-made Birthday and Christmas Cards.

Dorothy was a child of God and raised her family in the loving arms of the church – throughout her lifetime, her faith never wavered, even during her final days.

She was preceded in death by her Husband, Gene Mitchell, a daughter, Jeannie Pirtle; a sister, Rosa; and parents, Virgil and Virgie Hancock.

She is survived by her daughter, Rose Mitchell of Fort Worth, two sons, Bob Mitchell and wife, Gilda, of Rhome and Bill Mitchell and wife, DeNell of Shreveport; a son-in-law, Tom Pirtle of Fort Worth; eight grandchildren: Corby Self Sr., Candace Self, John Pirtle, Chris Mitchell, Kyle Mitchell, Heather Mitchell Willden, Teresa Mitchell Schneider and Matthew Mitchell; ten great-grandchildren: James Self, Corby Self Jr., Pierce Mitchell, Olivia Mitchell, Garrison Mitchell, Sariah Willden, Grace Schneider, William Schneider, Jacob Mitchell, Lynell Mitchell; a niece, Sarah Ashford Watkins and nephews Mike Ashford and Lee Ashford.