James Darron "Jim" Mitchell

James Darron Mitchell passed away on Friday November 10th. He was a dear friend, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Jim was one of four siblings. At a young age, Jim and his older brother, Richard, found themselves at the Episcopal Children’s’ Home in Pasadena, California. It was there that they met Jay and Martha Ward, two high school teachers who regularly visited the home and took the boys and girls on weekend camping trips in the High Sierras. Over time, Jay and Martha developed a special bond with Jim and Richard, and in 1962, they became legal foster parents and welcomed the two brothers into their existing family, which included Susan and her husband Richard Martin. Jim was truly a “Gentle Giant” both literally and figuratively. At Crescenta Valley High School in the mid-sixties the football coach was quite optimistic when he saw a six foot three, 250 lb, freshman show up for the first practice; what he did not know was that Jim was a dedicated and sincere pacifist and had zero compunction for inflicting pain on anyone or anything. The coach attempted to instill in Jim an aggressive and violent approach, which did not resonate with Jim’s gentle and kind disposition, and his football career ended that same day. He was a conscientious objector of the Vietnam War, and was assigned to community service at the Children’s’ Hospital. That service evolved into a full time position as an air conditioning and refrigeration engineer. Jim worked at Children’s’ Hospital for over 30 years. Jim enjoyed his time there, and developed many special friendships with both the patients and families, and his colleagues across the many departments. When he was in his early 20’s, Jim loved to go on long motorcycle rides and participated in endurance trips across the western US and Mexico. His love of camping and the outdoors also motivated him to go on numerous backpacking trips in the High Sierras and visit the ghost towns of Cerro Gordo and Bodhi. In the early 70’s, Jim was a single parent, raising his daughter, Martha, when he met Gae Eileen Greenough and her son, Lan. Jim and Gae were married in 1976 and raised their new family together in Tujunga, California. They became integral leaders in the Tujunga Little League, Jim and Gae both taking on official roles as board members. Jim coached teams and umpired games, Gae worked in the snack bar, and Lan and Martha played ball. Jim loved all things fishing. Fishing tackle, fishing trips, even fishing promotional videos (He was the Qualifier 105’s charter fleets biggest fan). He taught Lan and Martha to fish, and took them out on chartered day trips to catch yellowfin tuna and albacore. Jim maintained his love of the outdoors and he took his family on lots of camping trips in the Sierras, often in the area around June Lake. In 1980, he was finally reunited with his youngest brother, Robert, who was raising his own family in a little town on the Scott River in northern California. The family soon began to take their summer vacations up to Scott Bar, California and in 1984, Jim and Gae bought a small piece of land just up river from Bob. In 2004 Jim and Gae retired to Scott Bar and built their home. Jim loved life in Scott Bar, far from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. He loved driving around with his dog, Boo, in the Cub Cadet, hunting for firewood, and working in his woodshop. He was a dedicated member of the river community and was always eager to help his neighbors, from delivering firewood to those in need, to donating his time and craftsmanship to the Scott Bar Community Hall. In the past year, he reconnected with his sister, Sharon, and more recently began to rebuild his relationship with his son, Lan. We believe that he died with love in his heart and peace in his soul. Jim is survived by his wife, Gae, son Lan, and daughter Martha; brother Richard, sister Susan, and sister Sharron; three granddaughters Lana, Leah, and Maya Rose; nieces Aimee, Lisa, and Jennifer, Christie, and Audry; and nephews Steven, Steve and Ryan, and Drew; and great grand-daughter Liela. There are only two kinds of individuals in the world, “Givers & Takers”. Jim constantly gave to all he crossed paths with. He will be sincerely missed. Rest in eternal peace, Jim, you’ve earned it. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 17, 2017 at Scott Bar Community Hall at 1:00 p.m.

James Darron "Jim" Mitchell

May 1, 1948 - November 10, 2017