Albert Stephen Mitchell

Albert Stephen Mitchell Jr. July 1, 1941 to January 3, 2019. Our husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend with the winning smile will be greatly missed. Al was born to Dorothy (Colburn) Mitchell and Albert S. Mitchell, Sr. For the first year of his life he lived on a boat that his father had built moored at the Tacoma Yacht Club. After that year, the family moved to a 15-acre farm on Vashon Island. With chickens, cows and pigs, the Mitchell kids learned how to work and play hard. In 1953, when Al was 12, the Mitchells started selling cut Christmas Trees at their farm on Vashon. This grew from cut wild trees to buying trees from tree farmers. Always loving a new project, Al began buying tree seedlings and planting them on Vashon. So Mitchell’s Christmas Trees began selling their own trees in 1960 or so……. backing up their supply with purchased Tree farm trees. Even after Al graduated from Vashon High School in 1959 and continued on to college, he kept running the Christmas Tree Farm. He attended one year at the College of Puget Sound (UPS now) on a football scholarship. Finding the rigors of football and college life too much, he transferred to Olympic College in Bremerton. From there he went to Washington State University, graduating in Construction Management in 1965. He was a true crimson and gray Cougar, even attending his 50 year graduation from WSU. In 1966, Al met Andrea Silseth through a mutual friend. On October 7, 1967 they were married and moved into a furnished apartment on North 7th and M in Tacoma. Al worked for Hansen, Adams and Chalker Engineers; Andrea continued her education at UPS. Needing a challenge, in 1967 we purchased our first 10 acres in Gig Harbor and began clearing it to plant Christmas Trees. The Gig Harbor Farm grew to 30 acres where u-cut trees were sold until 2004 when Al’s health began to fail. During this time, Al ran the Vashon and Gig Harbor farms. Al, Andi, Steve, and Scott worked most weekends on the farms. Mitchell’s Tree Farm employed many high school students throughout the years. Both of the farms brought him many friends and wonderful memories. While working at Hansen, Adams and Chalker Engineers and later Chalker Engineers, Al earned his Civil Engineering Degree. His work included many public buildings, Morman Churches throughout Washington and Oregon, private homes, bridges. Just about anywhere we go in Washington, we see the results of his work. Al had engineering licenses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii. He eventually owned his own company, Mitchell and Associates, retiring from engineering in 2004. He has 2 sons, Stephen (1973) and Scott (1976). Al kept them active on the farm, of course …… learning to drive the dozer, the Kubota, and old trucks. He coached their soccer teams, went to band concerts and was a Boy Scout leader for them. He went to Philmont Scout Camp in New Mexico twice with the Scouts. Al belonged to the Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor for 42 years and went through the chairs once. He loved what Kiwanis stood for. Al participated in many fund raising projects and community service projects. The friendships he made through this organization were priceless. He was proud to be a Kiwanian. Not to be forgotten were his family hiking trips, family ski trips, camping vacations, and hunting trips, and travels throughout Europe. He is a lifetime member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and has hunted moose in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta and British Columbia. He played Men’s indoor and outdoor soccer in Pierce County until he was 60 years old. We would like to thank those who have helped us through these last 14-1/2 years with Albert. His two doctors, Dr. Graf and Dr. Ostergren; Tracy Williams - his first at-home caregiver, and Right At Home of Gig Harbor. Also Memory Care at The Lodge at Mallard’s Landing, where for 1-1/2 years he had superb care and made terrific friends with the staff (as did Andi), and Franciscan Hospice. Surviving Al are his brother William Mitchell of Wilton, Conn., his sister Mary Ellen Reckner (Dave) of Bremerton, his wife of 51 years Andrea (Silseth) of Gig Harbor, his sons Stephen Mackey-Mitchell (Josh) of Seattle and Scott Mitchell (Amy Brandon) of Yakima. He has 7 grandchildren: Alex, Allegra, Justin, Abby, Mickaela, Piper and Macy. Donations may be made in Al’s name to: Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor, P.O. Box 1491, Gig Harbor 98335. The family invites you to A Celebration of Life on Sunday, February 10, 2019 at the Gig Harbor Yacht Club, 8909 Stinson Avenue, Gig Harbor, from 3-6 pm. All are invited. There will be appetizers, beverages, memory tables, and shared stories. Arrangements by Edwards Memorial, Funerals Homes, Chapels and Crematories. 253-566-1008