JACK MITCHELL

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JACK MITCHELL Veteran broadcaster, Craig Oliver, paid tribute to Jack Mitchell on CTV's national Remembrance Day programme this year. He referred to Jack as the only living officer who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Three weeks after that broadcast, on December 3, 2015, Jack drew his final breath. Craig Oliver's last words that night had been, "Good luck, Jack!" In fact, Jack considered himself a very lucky man. On D-Day, for example, he took a bridge by clearing it of grenades with his bare hands. In the process his rifle broke the impact of a bullet. (Some residents of Cruelly, France still refer to that bridge as the Jack Mitchell Bridge.) In the Battle of Carpiquet Airport on July 4, 1945 Jack considered it good luck that he slipped and fell in the mud a moment before an artillery volley leveled many of the men in his troop, "D Company" of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. For his bravery that dayensconced in a full body cast, Jack received the Military Cross personally from King George V1 at Buckingham Palace. In 2004, the French Government bestowed on him the Legion of Honour, the highest award for non-patriots, thus conferring upon him the title of honour Sir Jack Mitchell. Born in Winnipeg on 26 September 1920, Jack (John) was the son of British immigrants, Mary (Mollie) nee Bricknell and Henry (Harry) Curry Mitchell and older brother to Richard (Dick) who died in 1996. Jack graduated from Kelvin High School and was among the first to enlist in 1940. After the war he considered himself lucky to have married such "a good looker" as Donna Morrison, whom he called Slim, "by way of incentive." He often spoke about how lucky they were to have three "wonderful" children. Post war Jack established a career in sales, the last 30 years of which was focused on commercial windows. And, until the end of his life he expressed gratitude for his war wounds because the associated pension afforded him more opportunity to help others. In later years, Jack dedicated himself to tending to Donna, saying it was his turn; she'd looked after him for their first half a century together. In 2002 Jack and Donna were admitted to Deer Lodge Centre. Despite numerous infirmities, he remained optimistic and steadfastly grateful for what he considered to be a most fortunate life. Jack was immensely proud of his children, Shar, Gerry and Don; their spouses, Redwan, Ann and Danielle; his grandchildren, Gabriel, Colby and Asher Lenz, Jacqui, Gregg and Bradley Mitchell, their partners, Erica, Emily, Daniel and Tennille and keenly interested in his great-grandchildren Sebastian, Dashell, Mac, Summer and Finn. He was honoured to count Sam Moqbel and Marianne Greenhowe as his step-grandchildren and welcomed them and their spouses, Amy and Gordon, and their children Tom, Evan and Oliver into his ample heart. The Mitchell family would like to pay particular tribute to Shar's late husband, Dr. Redwan Moqbel who adopted Jack as his own father and cared for him as such. Over the years Ed Aston, the late Norm Donogh, Sir Paul Martin and Paul Wright enriched Jack's life as did his lifetime friend, the late Cliff Chadderton whose achievements for amputees was an immense source of pride to Jack. The entire Mitchell family are profoundly grateful to the staff of T6 at Deer Lodge for their wonderful care and to Peachy, Rolando, Leina and Ron who ably supplemented that care during Jack's last months. Always the first to dig deep to help those less fortunate than himself, always honest, faithful to his word and keen to observe justice, Jack was an honourable man who is sorely missed. Donations in Jack's honour can be made to Darcy's Animal Rescue Shelter, 730B Century St., Winnipeg, MB, R3H 0M1; 1-888-2266.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 12, 2015