Capt. John C. Mitchell, USN Ret.

Captain John Creegan Mitchell, USN, Ret., flew his final mission to his heavenly home on June 4, 2025.

John was born in Gulfport, Miss., on September 10, 1930, to Louise (Brignac) and John Percy Mitchell. When a young boy, John moved to New Orleans, La., and was raised by his mother and paternal grandmother. His family, which included two older brothers, Percy and Donald, and a younger sister, Joan, remained in New Orleans where he grew up. Without his father, John's family struggled, and his mother worked hard to support the family. John was a little rascal, always getting into mischief with his brothers. He was well-known to the nuns at his Catholic school. John, who had a brilliant mind, admitted that he was bored and not motivated to do well in school.

John graduated from high school after the 11th grade and then worked as a telephone lineman for a brief time before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1948. Though he did not attend college after high school, the Navy saw his superior intellect and high potential, and they sent him to Officer Candidate School and flight training. John was commissioned as an ensign in February 1951, and he received his aviator wings several months later in July 1951 and his airship wings in February 1952. He was one of only 1% of Naval personnel who have become a Naval aviator without a college degree.

John started his Naval aviator career in Lakehurst, N.J., flying ZPN-1 non-rigid airships (blimps) in anti-submarine early warning (AEW) missions. As John moved up the ranks, he started flying anti-submarine fixed-wing aircraft, including the Grumman S-2 Tracker, Lockheed P-2 Neptune, and Lockheed P-2 Orion, from the decks of U.S. aircraft carriers based throughout the world. Assignments followed as an aviator and flight instructor at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba), Norfolk Naval Station (Va.), Cecil Field NAS (Jacksonville, Fla.), Los Alamitos NAS (Calif.), and Glenview NAS (Ill.). In 1972, John received the rank of Captain and was transferred to the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. After 26 years of military service, John retired on June 30, 1974. The highlight of his military career was serving in the Anti-Submarine Squadron VS-26 with the Lucky Tigers on board the Randolph aircraft carrier.

John remained in the D.C. area with his wife and four daughters, where they lived in Maryland, and he started a second career as the Chief Logistics Engineer for the S-3 Viking for the Naval Air Systems Command, Department of Defense. He retired from civil service after many years.

Notwithstanding his distinguished military and civil service careers, John's first priority always remained his family. He met the love of his life, Dorothy Grace Glover, in New Jersey while he was there from his Naval post in North Carolina. It was a whirlwind romance, and they were married on June 25, 1954, after only nine dates. Over the next 10 years, they welcomed four daughters.

John’s family relished their time together boating, water skiing, sailing, camping, snow skiing, spending weekends and holidays at the Mitchell vacation home at Deep Creek Lake, Md., and traveling throughout the world. He enjoyed reading, doing the daily Washington Post crossword, listening to music, dancing with his wife, drinking fine wine, and cooking. Growing up in New Orleans and being half Cajun (through his mother), John made the best gumbo and red beans & rice outside of NOLA, and he fried up the best oysters on the planet.

John always reminded his family, including grandchildren and great grandchildren, that life is about being together and celebrating each other. The Mitchell family was -- and will remain -- very close, spending vacations, holidays, and birthdays together, as well as just plain old get-togethers to enjoy each other's company. His legacy will be that he created a loving, strong, stable, and supportive family.

John is survived by his wife of nearly 71 years, Dorothy; his four daughters, Janice Coyle (Dennis), Elizabeth "Betty" Rosfeld (Rick), Jackie Gerhart (Steve), and Susan Mitchell; five grandchildren, Kathleen, Christy (Brian), Kevin (Trisna), Jackson (Kourtni), and Madison (Cameron); seven great grandchildren, Dean, Ainsley, Elliot, Presley, Creegan, Scarlett, and Jett; sisters-in-law, Anna-Maria Mitchell and Patricia Martin; brother-in-law, George Glover; and dozens of nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to the Viewing between 5pm-7pm on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702. A Funeral Service will be on Saturday, June14, 10am, at Stauffer Funeral Home in Frederick. Burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery and a Catholic Funeral Mass will be announced at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in John’s memory to his favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online here.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” (Leonardo DaVinci)

FLY HIGH, JOHN!