Keith Mitchell

Keith Mitchell, 66, of Fort Worth, Texas went to Heaven on Saturday, December 5, 2020. He was born to the late Bud and Bernece Mitchell in Upland, California, on November 13, 1954. He met his wife in high school, Pam Mitchell, and married on December 2, 1972 and built a beautiful life together for 48 years. He was the father of 2 children, a daughter, Regina and a son, Ryan. He loved and cared deeply for his family. He enjoyed family gatherings, especially every Christmas morning when he would wake his children up with the resounding music of the Beach Boys Christmas album. Keith grew up in Ontario, California, during the time when it was acceptable to let your children run and play outside and only come home when it was dinnertime. He was always very fond of all animals and his mother was accommodating every time he brought home a new pet, whether it was a dog, cat, snake, duck, squirrels, or bird eggs that he wanted to keep warm and watch hatch. Predictably, with a childhood mostly spent outdoors, he got into precarious situations. Once trying to catch a skunk to take home as another pet, he was sprayed by the skunk's defenses which took him days to eliminate the odor. He graduated from high school a semester early to join the Marine Corps. He enjoyed the comradery of his fellow Marines as well as his travels to Norway, Guam, and Okinawa. His wife and daughter were anxiously awaiting his return. When he came back to the States, he lived with his family near the military base on the California coast until he was honorably discharged three years later. Soon thereafter, was the birth of his son where he was so elated that it was the first time his wife had seen him so emotional. It was in California that Keith became a postal carrier for the Post Office, and just a few years later, decided to move his family to Texas for a better cost of living, and a better school system for his children. Arlington, Texas is where he lived for 40 years, supporting and maintaining a stable home for his family. He was a man of few words who led by example. He had an exemplary work ethic, great generosity, and modeled integrity. He retired from the post office after over 40 years of service and during that time was very proud that he never missed one of his kids' sporting events, award ceremonies, or important school functions. In addition to his day-job, he would mow lawns for extra money, but mostly did free yardwork for his neighbors and barely charged for his services which was an example of his generosity. He was also the guy who would leave a note on the windshield of a car that he dinged when the wind caught his car door. He was extremely gifted with his athletic abilities and enjoyed most sports and outdoor activities. He grew up playing baseball and football and going hunting, fishing, and camping. Keith also loved to play golf with family and his “golfing buddies from work.” But baseball was always his passion, playing short stop and second base in Little League and high school, and then teaching his children to love the game right along with him. Both of his children have played baseball and softball for most of their childhoods, mostly because he taught them to love it, but also to make their father proud. He taught his son to be a great infielder and “stop the ball by any means necessary” and taught his daughter to use her short height advantage by saying “a walk is as good as a hit.” Since his retirement, Keith has been able to spend quality time with his family, especially his grandchildren who he was very proud of. He enjoyed watching his grandson Chance's competitive nature in powerlifting, his grandson Jordan's musical talents on the piano, his granddaughter Ashton's athletic abilities in soccer, and his granddaughter Shelby's ability to always speak her mind. Keith was able to admire many qualities in others and in return was respected and treasured by others.