Ralph Eugene Mitchell

Ralph Eugene Mitchell of Centerville, Utah, passed away on December 11, 2020, peacefully at his home with members of his family by his side.
Ralph was born January 2, 1934 in Safford, Arizona. He was the second son of John Virgil Mitchell and Juanita Inglish Johnson. When he was two his parents divorced and his mother later married Lester Johnson. Lester brought one son from a previous marriage, Lester Earl (Earl) and he and Juanita had three sons, Ivan, David, and Ed. Ralph loved his four brothers and cherished time with them throughout his life.
When Ralph was fifteen he met Ella Findlay at a seminary dance. He heard bells ringing, couldn’t see straight and immediately knew there was something special about this cute Scottish lass. On March 5, 1953, Ralph married Ella in the Mesa Arizona temple of the Church of Jesus Christ, they were blessed with 5 children. Ralph and Ella were examples of a tender and devoted love toward each other and their family. Ralph had a happy, loving, and optimistic personality that allowed him to make friends easily. His family and friends were always special blessings in his life.
Ralph was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in many callings including Bishop. He loved the members of his ward and kept sweet friendships with many through the years.
In his early 20s, Ralph found his calling and became a pilot and instructor for both small aircraft and helicopters. He logged over 12,000 hours in the air and has taught hundreds of students. As a flight instructor, he was known for his depth of experience, his calm teaching style, and for truly loving to help others learn to fly. In his later years he was proud that he was a member of the UFO (United Flying Octogenarians) Club. Up until a few days before his death, his pilot friends would still come to him for wisdom and instruction concerning flying.
Ralph will be remembered fondly for many things: he loved to share his Scotch eggs, blonde brownies, and horseradish mashed potatoes. He enjoyed traveling with Ella to Scotland, which they did many times, or to visit family members for baby blessings and baptisms, graduations and weddings. He had a strong work ethic which he gave to his family and he was always optimistic in the face of challenges particularly during his battles with cancer. His family will remember him for his “dad” jokes, his captivating style of storytelling, his wide smile, the twinkle in his eyes; and his love for his wife, children, and grandchildren. “Together is a wonderful place to be” was his and Ella’s motto.
Ralph is preceded in death by his beloved wife Ella, daughter Katherine Juanita Mitchell, father John Virgil Mitchell, mother Juanita Inglish Johnson, and stepfather Lester Johnson; brothers John Virgil Mitchell Jr., and Lester Earl Johnson. He’s survived by four of his children, Bruce Eugene (Diane) Mitchell, Bonnie Faline (James) Rawson, Heather Ann (Jerry) Gwynn, and Stuart Neal (Lori) Mitchell, 17 grandchildren, and 40 great grandchildren with three more on the way. Brothers Ivan (Christine) Johnson, David (Vickie) Johnson, and Edward Johnson.
A viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Friday, December 18, 2020 at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah. A private funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the funeral service at the church is limited to immediate family only. Ralph will be interred at the City of Orem Cemetery.

Services will be live streamed on ZOOM @ http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/centervilleutahstake