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Terry Mitchell

June 16, 1946 - April 8, 2015
Grand Rapids, MI

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Visitation

Sunday, April 19, 2015
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes
Van Strien Creston Chapel
1833 Plainfield Ave., N.E
Grand Rapids, MI 49505
(616) 361-2613
Driving Directions

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Van Andel Institute
333 Bostwick Ave. N.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Life Story / Obituary


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Terry L. Mitchell was a loving family man and a talented professional. He put his calculating mind to work on projects that captured his imagination. His interests were varied and his skills were focused. Given time, he could figure out how anything worked and he could fix nearly everything. Terry enjoyed life and took particular delight in spending time with his family. His fun-loving nature and adventuresome spirit made life a joy for those around him.

Terry was born June 16, 1946 to Vern B. and June E. (Schipper) Mitchell at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At the time, America was recovering from WWII, and families who had sacrificed much were determined to make the world a better place for their children. Vern and June raised their two boys on the southwest side of the city, and though young Terry could be a mischievous boy, he was also a serious student with a curious mind.

Terry attended Hall Street public elementary school before the family moved to East Grand Rapids. During his high school days, it was common for teens to ride the “circuit” in downtown Grand Rapids. Kids would pile into cars and cruise the same circuit of streets for hours in an evening, checking out kids in other cars. Friends met up with each other and at times new friendships were made. As it happened one night, Terry and his friend were cruising in a convertible when they spotted a few girls in another car and decided to follow them. In an effort to lose the boys, the girls turned down a one-way alley the wrong way. Unknown to them, the boys came from the opposite side and stopped the girls in the alley. There they talked and exchanged phone numbers, which is how Terry came to call on Jayne White, and before long a romance was begun.

Jayne was a graduate of South High School, and by the time Terry graduated from the East Grand Rapids High School in 1964, they were serious about making a lifelong commitment. They married in 1965 and settled into a lovely little apartment on Lyon Street NE in downtown Grand Rapids. In order to get a reduction in their rent, Terry helped maintain the apartment building and took care of the yard.

After a time the young couple moved to the southeast side of the city in the suburb Wyoming and while living there, they welcomed their first child, daughter Thresa, into their family. About this time, also, Terry took a job with Steelcase. He started in the office furniture factory, and because of his hard work and determination he was soon moved to a draftsman position. Simultaneously, he was taking extension courses from Michigan State University, as well as some classes at Grand Rapids Junior College, and eventually graduated from MSU as a mechanical engineer. When his father needed help in his construction business, Terry worked with him for a time before joining the Herman Miller company in Holland, Michigan. As an engineer, he was doing what he was trained to do but also what he was excited to do.

Terry was a very bright man and was always coming up with ideas to make something better. For example, he designed the mechanism on adjustable tables for hospital floor computers, and he developed a surgical bone knife that is widely used in hospitals today. Always the dreamer and “putterer,” he could take an idea and spend hours developing a product and working out how to put it together. Clever as he was, Terry could also be somewhat short-sighted and often ended up in some precarious situations.

While with Herman Miller, the Mitchell family moved to Jenison, then to Rockford for a short time and back to Jenison. Five years after their first child, son Marc was born and Terry was intent on making life good for his children. He certainly provided a livelihood but also plenty of fun. When the children were young, the family took car trips to many places in the Midwest and traveled around Lake Michigan in their motor home, especially to Traverse City and Mackinaw Island. A kid at heart, Terry made sure to spend time at amusement parks—Great America, Cedar Point, Kings Island and many other exciting places. He was a fan of roller coasters but not any rides that spun him around. On a tamer side, he played board games with his children (Scrabble being his favorite) and later with his grandchildren. He was also an avid reader and liked to read spy novels and get lost in the intrigue of Grisham stories.

In the early 1980s, Terry left the corporate office of Herman Miller and began his own business, Quest Engineering, where he worked the remainder of his career. The business was based in Grand Rapids, and during this time the family moved to nearby Ada. For a number of years, Terry volunteered his talents with the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce, which was a valuable experience for him and fellow business managers.

Understandably, Terry was very busy with his business, but he took time to socialize and enjoy his friends. He played golf at Greenridge Country Club, where he and Jayne were members, and later they became members of the Egypt Valley Country Club. The two of them also liked to travel and spent time in Europe—the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany—which conveniently coincided with their 25th anniversary. It was a great way to celebrate a wonderful marriage. In later years, they took several cruises, visiting many of the Caribbean Islands and Mexico. One vacation to Hawaii held cherished memories that would last a lifetime.

In early 2015, Terry became ill and after several weeks was admitted to the hospital. For three weeks he was attended by an excellent team of caregivers. The family would like to express their appreciation and thanks to the many doctors and nurses who provided comfort and care during Terry’s recent illness.

Mr. Terry L. Mitchell, aged 68 of Grand Rapids, Michigan passed away Wednesday April 8, 2015. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his family and all who knew him.

Terry is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jayne Mitchell; his children: Thresa and Tony Clark, Marc and Kari Mitchell; his grandchildren: Reese Clark, Mia Mitchell, Kianna Clark, Paige Mitchell; his brother Lon Mitchell; a nephew Cody Mitchell; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Jon White, James White and Penny Schwandt, Jack and Diane White, Jerry and Judy White and several nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with his family Sunday April 19, 2015 from 2-4 P.M. at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, Van Strien – Creston Chapel, 1833 Plainfield N.E. For a more lasting memorial the family suggests memorial contributions to Van Andel Institute. To read more of Terry’s life, share a memory or sign the online register book please visit www.lifestorynet.com

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