Elinor Danforth Danforth Mitchell

Our mother, Elinor Danforth Mitchell, passed away the evening of Thursday, August 2, 2012 at the age of 93 in Kirkland, Washington. She was most recently a resident of Redmond, Washington. Elinor was born in 1919 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and attended Grinnell College (Iowa) and the University of Iowa, where she earned her Master's degree. She met our dad, Dr. Richard S. Mitchell, while both were teaching at the State Teachers College at St. Cloud, Minnesota. Elinor taught physical education and kinesiology, dad taught education and audio visual arts. Mom and Dad married in 1950, at the home of her parents, mother Nora Isabel (Tollefson) Danforth and her father George Jonathan Danforth (he served as State's Attorney in 1909-10 and was a candidate in the primary for US Senator of South Dakota in 1930 and 1938.

Our mother and father moved to California in 1956, where our father continued to teach as a Professor of Education, and our mom devoted her life to raising her four children. She is survived by her four children: George Danforth (Dan) Mitchell of San Jose, California, Richard Mitchell (me) of Woodinville, WA, Edward (Ed) Mitchell of Spokane, WA, and Ruth Ann Mitchell Pearsons of Danville, CA, and by her eleven grandchildren. Her intellect, wit, and wisdom will be missed by all who knew her.

Mom loved gardening and more than anything, was a lifelong promoter of public education and public swimming programs, fighting successfully for years to keep public pools open and swimming rates low in San Jose, CA. In her younger years she was a lifeguard and swim instructor and passed her love of swimming on to her children and grandchildren. She also had strong family values and considered raising a family to be her most important priority. Elinor moved to Redmond, WA in 2005, and spent her remaining years near Richard's family, getting to know his three sons and enjoying the wonderful residents at Emerald Heights. Until the very end, she was known as a memory whiz, memorizing all phone numbers and appointments for months in advance, often challenging others to remember the "name of the president in 18xx" or the "vice-president in 19xx"...and she would know! We will all remember her as a strong Midwestern woman, a person of character with high expectations and standards, a person who overcame all challenges life cast her way. Truly a fine example for us all.

Goodbye Mom, we'll all miss your presence.

Donations may be made in memorial to a charity of your choice or:

Grinnell College

Evergreen Hospice

San Ramon Valley Guide Dog Raisers c/o Guide Dogs for the Blind (San Rafael, CA)