WILLIAM CAROL (DUB) MITCHELL

William Mitchell, 83, of Wasilla, died June 18, 2010, at Care Inc.

A celebration of life for Mr. Mitchell will be at 3 p.m. today at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel in Wasilla, with the Rev. Dan Grisham officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Navy. A reception will follow the service at the funeral home.

Mr. Mitchell was born Aug. 16, 1926, in Vera, Okla., and grew up in California. After his military service, he decided to have an adventure. Riding his Harley-Davidson from California to Alaska in 1949, he fell in love with the beauty of the great state of Alaska and returned to California to marry and bring his new bride back to Anchorage.

Mr. Mitchell worked for the Alaska Railroad, and he and his wife, Bonnie, helped build Victory Bible Camp. They returned to California after the birth of their first child, but in June 1969, the Mitchells returned to Alaska.

Mr. Mitchell was a member of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Local 1959 from 1961 until 1992, when he retired. He was a member of the Church of the Brethren in Empire, Calif., and also served as a volunteer firefighter there.

According to his family, “William was a loving husband and father, kind and generous, and a faithful friend. He had a great sense of humor and took great pride in his work. He enjoyed playing softball, fishing, hunting, riding motorcycles, motorhoming with his wife and watching the Atlanta Braves play.”

Mr. Mitchell is survived by his wife of 60 years, Bonnie L. Mitchell of Wasilla; daughter, Carol (Geoff) Brown of Anchorage; son, William Paul (Lori) Mitchell of Anchorage; daughter, Jude Fort (Janet Boone); brother, Harold Mitchell of Fairbanks; grandsons, Zachary Brown of Salt Lake City, Scott (Katie) Mitchell of Seattle, Andrew (Rebecca) Mitchell of Bellingham, Wash., and granddaughter, Lindsey Brown of Anchorage.

The family has requested in lieu of flowers that memorial donations be directed to the Alzheimer’s Resource Agency of Alaska, P.O. Box 4406, Palmer, AK 99654.

Arrangements were made by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory, Wasilla Chapel, akheritage.com.