Lawrence "Larry" H. Mitchell

Lawrence H. "Larry" Mitchell, 86, of St. Petersburg, FL, passed Thursday, June 11, 2015. He was born in Pendleton, SC and moved to St. Petersburg in 1946 from Pickens County, SC. He attended the University Of Tampa and served in the U.S. Navy then retired as a Technical Sergeant from the U.S. Air Force with 20 years of service during WW II, the Korean War, and the Viet Nam War. He served overseas in sea duty with the Navy and performed duties as a Navigator and Bomb Trainer Technician and NCOIC, Link Trainer, in the Air Force. He was a member of the American Legion. After retirement from the Air Force, Larry was a Field Engineer in the Singer Simulation Product Division at the Kennedy Space Center in charge of a highly complex visual system on the Lunar Module Simulator. This equipment was used to train all the astronauts during the Apollo program and his name was inscribed on the Apollo Monument in the Space Walk Of Fame signifying dedicated work as a part of the team that made the program a success. Larry then was a Civil Service employee at Eglin Air Force Base, FL where he was the project manager on several different aircraft weapons systems. He also served as the program manager for the acquisition of three major modifications for all F-4E flight simulators in the Tactical Air Command. Lastly, he was a quality assurance technician for Sperry Gyroscope in Clearwater, FL. He was a 57 year member of the Free and Accepted Masons and was a 32nd degree member of Nitram Lodge #188 in St. Petersburg. He was a Perpetual Member of the Scottish Rite Valley Of Tampa. Larry is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mildred "Midge" Mitchell; 1 daughter, Belinda M. (Robert J., MD) Kitos of Ocala, FL; 1 son, Lawrence K. "Larry" Mitchell of Mims, FL; 1 brother, Wesley Mitchell of Dunnellon, FL; and 2 grandchildren, John (Erin) Mitchell and Stephanie Kitos. He was predeceased by his brothers, Harold Mitchell, Marion L. "M.L." Mitchell, and Malcolm "Mike" Mitchell. A masonic graveside service will be 11:30 A.M. Thursday, June 25, 2015 at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. $(document).ready(function(){ });