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Thomas G. Mitchell Sevierville, TN QCWA # 11150 Chapter 60 |
Thomas George Mitchell passed away February 7, 2012. He was born on July 12, 1918 in St. Joseph, MI to Sidney C. and Florence Weimer Mitchell. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert Weimer Mitchell.
During his teen years, Mr. Mitchell became a licensed ham radio operator and also earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Following graduation from high school in Benton Harbor, MI where his father was Superintendent of schools for 33 years, he attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. He transferred to the University of Michigan to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering when his college career was interrupted by World War II.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in August, 1941. After extensive Radar training in Canada as well as at Harvard and MIT, he was attached to the 404th Bomb Squadron in the Aleutian Islands from May 1942 to October 1945. He received the Legion of Merit before being discharged with the rank of Major.
After the war, Mr. Mitchell began his career with Electro-Voice in Buchanan, MI where he served as Production Manager. He was promoted to Vice President in 1965 when he oversaw construction and managed the new facility in Sevierville. He was later associated with Ten-Tec which was a perfect match for the amateur radio enthusiast also known by his call letters W8RAE and later, W4OSU. He retired as Purchasing Director in 1990.
He and Mrs. Mitchell resided in Buchanan, MI for 20 years where he was active in civic affairs, serving on the City Commission for 9 years and as Mayor for four years before coming to Sevierville. He was a member of the Lions Club and First Presbyterian Church, where he served as a Deacon and an Elder. He was also a member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) of which he served a term as Sections Communication Manager for the state of Michigan.
CREDITS
Obituary/biography: The Mountain Press