John Alan Mitchell

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;' 'High Flight' John G. Magee, Jr. John Alan Mitchell of Fremont, California, died Tuesday, February 7th, after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was 80 years old. John was born September 20th, 1936 in San Jose, California, the son of John G. Mitchell and Geneva L. (Priddy) Mitchell. He was 80 years old. He is survived by his wife Nancy and children David, Thomas, Susan, Kathy, Michael, and Jennifer, as well as brother Melvin, sister Margaret, and two grandsons Timothy and Jeremy. A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 13th at 2pm at Chapel of the Angels, 40842 Fremont Blvd., Fremont CA, 94538, followed by a reception. John enjoyed his career as a professional pilot. He received his flight training in the U.S. Navy between June of 1955 and October of 1956. He was a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves (active duty) for ten years and was posted to various places in the Pacific, including San Diego and Guam. In May of 1965 he was hired by American Airlines and was based in New York City. He transferred to the U.S. Navy Reserves (reserves) and continued his service to the Navy as a 'Weekend Warrior,' retiring in California with the rank of Captain. As an American Airlines copilot, John transferred from New York City to Los Angeles in 1976 and then to San Francisco in 1978. He retired from American Airlines in 1996 as a captain. John is most well-known in the Fremont community for his computer tech support in the school system, notably Weibel Elementary School, Hopkins Jr. High School, and Mission and Irvington High Schools. In his later years, he enjoyed assisting with Jenny's power (wheelchair) soccer team in San Jose. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, but he leaves behind a loving family and a lifetime of dedication to country and community service. Godspeed, John. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association – www.alz.org.