Obituary of Jeffrey G. Mitchell

Serving the Community for over 33 Years, Olympia Veterinarian Dies at the Young Age of 67 Years Old Jeffrey Guy Mitchell, DVM, 8/9/1946-9/4/2013 Jeffrey G. Mitchell, DVM, owner and operator of West Olympia Pet Hospital, passed away on September 4, 2013. He was 67 years of age. A long-time resident of Olympia, he is survived by his beloved daughter, Charlotte Emily Mitchell, also of Olympia. Jeff was predeceased by his parents, Lyman L. Mitchell and Janet L. Mitchell, of Wilmette, IL, where Jeff grew up. He is also survived by his ex-wife Gwendoline Sowray, his step children Darren and Wayne England and Gabrielle England El-Sokkary, 4 step-grandchildren, his brother Randall Mitchell of Palatine, Il, and his nieces Meredith Gornto, Laurie Harrison, and Paige Berntson and their children, as well as several cousins. Jeff attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Il and Duke University, where, in addition to his studies, he was a baseball pitcher, a sport that he took up at a very early age and that remained his passion throughout his life. His dreams of playing professional baseball prematurely ended with a injury on his pitching hand, yet he remained a passionate, lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and later a fan of the Seattle Mariners. He received a degree in economics from Duke, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. As with many of his age at that time, the Vietnam War interrupted his education and he enlisted as officer in the United States Navy. Jeff served honorably for four years as Lieutenant Fleet Officer aboard the destroyer USS Bordelon (DD 881) where he contributed to the development of sonar used to detect submarines and mines. After his discharge, he continued to pursue his education at the University of Southern Illinois, where he obtained a masters degree in animal husbandry followed by his doctorate in veterinarian medicine at the University of Illinois, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class. He worked summers during college as a wrangler and ranch hand at Tumbling River Ranch in Colorado, where he fell in love with the outdoors, mountains, horses, and overall country life. He also had an internship in Cottage Grove, OR, where he fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. He opened his own veterinary practice in Olympia in 1980, naming it West Olympia Animal Hospital, which later moved and became West Olympia Pet Hospital. He and Gwen lived on several acres of land and on Jeff’s birthday, in 1982, they welcomed their daughter, Charlotte Emily Mitchell into the world. They had several animals of their own, and Jeff quickly became known as a dedicated and compassionate vet. Often, he volunteered his time and his skills to help ailing animals, including wildlife. He was a well-known, active member of the AA community, MBYCC, and the Mountaineers. He had a passion for baseball, sports, hiking, camping, back country horse riding, fishing, golf, skiing, and helping others in need. Jeff was a loving father, step-father, step-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He adored his employees whom he considered a second family and was loved by his clients at the West Olympia Pet Hospital. A celebration of his life will take place on Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 3:00 PM at the Olympia Country and Golf Club located at 3636 Country Club Rd NW Olympia, WA 98502 (360) 866-7121. A stone marker honoring his military service to this country will be placed in Tahoma National Memorial Park. His remains will be scattered over the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where he longed to retire and where he spent many hours on horseback enjoying the beauty of nature. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his honor be made to: Thurston County Humane Society,http://www.thurstoncountyhumanesociety.org/Pages/default.aspx Or American Legion Baseball http://www.legion.org/donate Please leave your memories and condolences for the family below in the Guestbook.