Carl William Mitchell

Carl William Mitchell passed quietly in the night Sept. 3, 2016, at 5:05 a.m. He was born May 16, 1924, in Haskell, Texas. Carl had an incredible life! In 1932, his family left Haskell and picked cotton up the Colorado River until his father found work as a high scaler on Boulder Dam. Carl enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Las Vegas, December 1942 and was sent to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for boot camp. He was a signalman throughout his enlistment using Morse Code on telegraph key and a blinker light. Major events during his military career were, off shore in the Atlantic on Aircraft Carrier USS Tripoli, ready to put fighter planes in the air when President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met in a rainstorm offshore to determine the conditions of ceasefire. Heavy seas and hopeful hearts as he and the crew all knew these powerful men were making history. Carl was honorably discharged from the Navy in Florida Dec. 13, 1948 and was glad to ride his Indian motorcycle cross country to return home to Las Vegas. Carl lived in the Las Vegas area on and off for close to 75 years, the last 32 years in Boulder City. He was married Jan. 12, 1952 and spent the next 63 years with his adored wife, Luanna May Mitchell, and had five children, Sherry Poe in Riverside, Diana Young (deceased), Susan Mitchell Stankovic of Boulder City, Carla Mitchell Kraft of Ventura, Calif., and John Mitchell of Phoenix. He has over 50 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, who lovingly called him "Papa." We adored him and he loved us with all his heart! In 2013, Carl became very active in the Boulder City Senior Center and made many lifelong friends, enjoying fellowship, playing pool and card games. He loved karaoke and the song "Lucille," which we all knew by heart. Every day was a good day and he started it with a smile and a nice shirt! Carl loved meeting people and telling family stories so to honor my mom's request, we created a family museum in Boulder Dam Hotel, where Dad went most weekdays to share our family's history of migration to Nevada. Stories of the depression days where the family went from picking cotton in Texas to working as a high scaler on the dam. Stories of grade school in Boulder City, scorpions, nickel movies and early days of Las Vegas were delightful. Carl met people from around the world and often received thank you cards reciting how touching it was to meet him. Stop in to Boulder City Library and see the Constitution display created the day before Carl's passing. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19, at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive, Boulder City. Carl wanted everyone to celebrate their own life, be happy, be healthy and love the people you encounter. He was 92 years young. Family wishes that donations be made to the Boulder City Senior Center in Carl's name in lieu of flowers.

---