Donald Mitchell

Obituary Donald Leonard Mitchell was a member of "the greatest generation", a WWII post occupation Veteran, a successful business man, a fastidious, frugal and disciplined gentleman. The type of gentleman whose level of respect he offered to all who he encountered was remarkable and the hallmark of "the greatest generation". The type of gentleman who never made a public appearance without wearing a hat. Don was born in Burlington, KS to Samuel Leonard Mitchell, a car dealer, and Martha Alice (Miller) Mitchell a housewife. During the 1920's and 1930's the family moved from Burlington, KS to Vernon, KS where his sister, Merry Lou, was born. The family moved back to Burlington, KS, then to Long Beach, CA and then to Wichita, KS. Don graduated from Wichita East High School where he competed in swimming and tennis. Upon graduation, he was drafted into the Army where he spent several years in Germany as a staff assistant during post WWII occupation. Don attended General Motors Institute in Detroit. After graduation Don moved with his family to Iola, KS where he worked in his father's GM dealership selling Cadillac and Chevrolet automobiles. In the 1950's Don also worked with his father in a used car dealership in McPherson, KS. Don later moved to Colorado Springs, CO where he owned and ran a Sinclair Oil service station. During the 1960's Don owned and ran his own GM Chevrolet car dealership in Coldwater, KS. He later worked as a traveling automotive parts dealer based in Ulysses, KS. He transitioned to a dealer based automotive parts specialist in Ness City, KS and Colby, Kansas in the 1970's. He moved to Pueblo, Colorado in the 1980's to work with automotive parts for a car dealer. Always a frugal saver, Don independently researched and studied finance and economics as a hobby. He became a prolific student of investing. While in Pueblo he fulfilled a long time goal working as a stock broker. When Dons father died in 1990, Don moved in to his parents home in Colorado Springs, CO to care for his mother. He assumed residence there after his mother died in 1999. Dons last 19 months were spent in the comfort of The Residence Inn at Skyway Park under the management of Rich Larson. Don called The Residence his home, the greatest compliment he could offer to the staff and the facility. Also providing amazing comfort and grace as he left this world and merged into the next was Compass (Hospice) Care and Griswold Homecare. We offer our gratitude and compliments to these three organizations who preserved Dons dignity and recognized his value. Don lived to the ripe old age of 88, he was just on the cusp of turning 89. May his soul rest in perfect peace. If you should be inclined, please donate in honor of Don to your charity of choice or the Colorado Springs Senior Center. Colorado Springs Senior Center located at 1514 North Hancock Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903. ~ Donald is survived by his sister Merry Lou (Don) Belden; niece Nancy (Tracy) Drosselmeyer; grand-nieces Alyssa (Braden) Louia, and Erin (Tramaine Thompson) Drosselmeyer and great-grandniece Aria; and by his nephew Greg. He is also survived by his cousins, Sherry (Jon) Eastin, and Jody (Jack) Glasgow of Longmont, Colorado; and cousins Janet (Paul) Wintermantle of Rochester, Michigan and Linda Ecklund of Houghton Lake, Michigan; second cousins Jeff Eastin, Karl (Rachel) Ecklund, Joel (Jessica) Wintermantle, Alicia (Jason) Forest, Emily Wintermantle, and Marissa (Ryan) Schmid; and third cousins Alexander and MIa . Don is additionally survived by his adopted family (the family of his best friend Jan Brickell) daughter Desiree Brickell, husband Dave Wubben and their children Sophia and Sammy of Golden, Colorado. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Donald Mitchell