Married 61 years, a Pekin couple enjoyed traveling, classic cars before dying in crash
PEKIN − A Pekin couple loved working with children, restoring classic cars and "traveling extensively to explore different cultures."
Harold J. Mitchell, 84, and his wife, Patricia J. Mitchell, 82, both died after a collision in rural Morton Nov. 29, according to officials. Patricia died at the scene while her husband died four days later on Dec. 3.
The couple was very active in the community. Harold volunteered with Boy Scouts of America as membership chairman and district chairman of the Tamarora district and was a former board member of the W.D. Boyce Council.
Earlier this year, they celebrated 61 years of marriage, having been married on Aug. 26, 1961 in Creve Coeur.
Patricia taught at C.B. Smith Primary School and Washington Intermediate School in her career, retiring in 1998.
Patricia's obituary stated, "She and her husband enjoyed traveling extensively to explore different cultures and bring back items of interest. Pat was especially fond of Spain. She also had a great passion for collecting, restoring and showing classic cars with her husband. Pat enjoyed working in her flower gardens, playing bridge and golfing."
Both were members of Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin and longtime members of Pekin Country Club.
Harold, along with his wife, loved classic cars. He "had a great passion for collecting, restoring and showing classic cars and was an active member of the Jaguar Club of St. Louis, the St. Louis MG Club, North American MGA Register, International Jaguar Club of London and the International MG Club of London," according to his obituary.
Harold was a past chair of the Central Illinois British Car Club for seven years. He also enjoyed designing and building homes and especially enjoyed travel with his wife throughout the world.
He was a former member of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and a member, past president and a past campaign chairman of the United Way Board in Pekin.
Both were Bradley alum with Harold earning a degree in architectural engineering which he parlayed into a job at Caterpillar, Inc., starting in Morton in 1959. His wife was a graduate of Illinois State University where she did her undergraduate work, and then she earned a master's at Bradley.
Harold spent 40 years with Caterpillar, retiring in 1999 from parts marketing. He started in the paint division and held various jobs in inventory control, orders division, data processing, as a foreman over shipping and manager of the Orders Division.
Their funerals will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Grace United Methodist Church in Pekin, where the couple will lie in state one hour before the funeral. Pastor Eric N. Swanson will officiate for both services. Burial will be at Fon du Lac Township Cemetery in East Peoria.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, 601 North 4th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Funeral scheduled for Pekin couple killed in wreck
