William J. Mitchell

Bill was born on October 23, 1946 in Dorchester, Massachusetts the third child and first son of William and Evelyn Mitchell. He has five sisters; Mary, Marilyn (deceased), Kathleen, Susan, Evelyn and two brothers, John and Mark.





At a young age, Billy, as he was called, demonstrated a talent and a love for music. Later in life he would relax after a long day and listen to classical music of which he had a large collection.





One day when he was about ten, he sat at the piano and just started to play. A piano teacher, hired by our parents to foster this ability, quit in frustration because Bill refused to read the musical notes but would simply play by ear. Of course being extremely independent and some times ornery, Bill would only play if he thought no one was around so family members would pretend to be busy outside if they wanted to hear him play.





His most cherished attribute was his sense of humor and sharp wit. At the most appropriate time he could effortlessly come out with some witty remark that would make you laugh.





Bill was very creative and loved to draw. He graduated with honors from the Massachusetts College of Art in 1968 and was listed that year in the book "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities." For the next couple of years he worked for an advertising agency and lived for a short time in Newburyport, Mass.





Shortly thereafter, his father began to lose his sight and could no longer work, so Bill willingly moved back home to help out. Each summer Bill would come home from work, pack up the car and he and his mom and dad would drive to his grandmother's cottage in York, Maine for the weekends. He spent many hours at the cottage lovingly tending to the beautiful flowers in the garden which thrived under his care.





He had a lot in common with and was especially close to his sister, Marilyn. They had pet names for each other, loved the same odd-ball things, were both a little quirky, funny, and fun-loving and when the mood struck them, they could each be stubborn and strong-willed. His illness spared him from knowing of her death two years ago.





He was a great brother to all of us; dropping off chocolate-frosted donuts unexpectedly to his sister's house on the way home from the bakery just because he knew she loved them; slipping his brother a few dollars because Bill knew he was a little short of cash; and always ready to help and lend his support without question to whoever needed it.





Bill never married nor had children. He used to say "my parents are my children." He spared no expense to insure their well-being and for many years he took care of the home and lovingly card for his mother and father, even nursing his dad through a terminal illness. No parent could ask for a better son.





A very talented and gifted artist, Bill had a wonderful eye for color and a terrific imagination for design. Many if not all of his original drawings were drawn by hand - no computer-generated art for him! He was the Creative Art Director and head of the art department for a well-known company for twenty-three years. During that time, he traveled to Paris to design cinematic theaters. He loved Paris and he had hoped to return to France in his later years, expressing a longing to live in the French countryside to paint, but sadly that was not to be.





We miss our Billy, but we are thankful for the many memories we have of a wonderful brother and devoted son. We are so lucky to have him and grateful for the kind and compassionate care he receives here at Greenbriar. He deserves no less.





We, his family, choose to believe that somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, he remembers us and knows he is loved very much.





Funeral from the Barile Family Funeral Home 482 Main St. (RT 28) STONEHAM Saturday at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass celebrating William's life in St. Patrick's Church, 71 Central St. Stoneham at 10am. Family and friends are kindly invited to attend Visiting Hours Friday 4-8pm. Parking attendants will be on duty. Entombment Cedar Grove Mausoleum, Dorchester.





In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of William to the Alzheimer's Association, MA Chapter, 311 Arsenal St. Watertown, MA 02472.