MITCHELL, Edward (Ed) William

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Monday, January 30, 2012 Edward William Mitchell, 49, better known as Ed, Eddy, dad or Uncle Ed to those who knew him, died Jan. 25, 2012, in an accident at work in Prescott Valley, Ariz. Ed was born April 17, 1962, in Jersey City, N.J., to Edward and Genevieve (Kellis) Mitchell. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Middletown, N.J., where Ed grew up with his two older brothers, Mike and Tom, and his older sister, Barb. Eddy was a perfect child, or so he claimed to his second-grade teacher Ms. Stone, who at one point sent a letter home explaining his claims, assigning an essay and asking his mother to talk to him about it. The letter entertained Eddy so much that he framed it for all to see. The letter is still on display in Eddy's home in Prescott Valley. Eddy was full of energy, hence the spelling of his name: a whirlpool in a stream of water constantly moving. His high energy and inclination for mischief as a child meant that the local emergency room doctors knew him by name when he came in. He wasn't alone, however. He had his best friend, Robbie, by his side. The two of them spent countless hours together hanging out and supping up an old Chevy Chevelle. In 1980, Ed, now officially an adult, moved to Durango, Colo., where he met his first wife, Shannon. They moved to Clayton, N.M., and had a son, Forrest, in 1983. Ed and the family then moved to Arizona in 1988 where he would spend the rest of his life. After separating with Shannon, Ed met Anita Sexton in 1992 and it was love everlasting. The couple tried for so long to have a child. Once they had finally given up, however, they were more than pleased to find out Anita was pregnant. They welcomed another son, Dylan, into the world in 1999. Currently Ed was looking forward to being a grandfather for the first time. Ed worked many jobs in his life and there wasn't much he couldn't do, but he finally found his calling helping others at Stepping Stones in Prescott Valley, Ariz. He was a lifelong Yankee and Knicks fan, but above all others he loved his Redskins. Ed was a wonderful writer, though he was just starting out, and loved James Patterson. Ed's best quality, however, was his ability to find humor, even in the darkest of times. He would have us all laughing right now if he could. Ed is survived by his wife Anita; two sons, Forrest and his wife Angela, and Dylan; and his yet to be born granddaughter Charlotte; his stepfather Wally Naegele; his older brother Mike Mitchell and his wife Bonnie; and older sister Barb Collins and her husband Steve; his sisters-in-law, Patti Mitchell, Pam Sexton and Suzy Ramirez and her husband Urick; his 14 nieces and nephews (some of which he was like a father to) Paul, Caleb, Amanda, Christina, Jesse, Tyler, Jasmine and her husband Chris, Chelsey and her husband Will, Martha, Genevieve and her fiancé Mark, Ruth, Rachael and her husband Travis, Christopher and Stephen; his ex-wife Shannon; and his loving extended second family at Stepping Stones. Ed was predeceased by his mom and dad and his older brother Tom. May they keep each other company in the time ahead. The service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, at Fain Park, one of Ed's favorite places, in Prescott Valley, Ariz. Please carpool if possible; parking is limited. A collection has been set up at National Bank of Arizona to help his survivors. Ed would like to thank everyone by name, but could fill this paper. However, Ed would like to thank everyone who has helped his family in this difficult time and everyone who touched his life. Thank you to his wife and children for giving his life purpose and direction and thank you to Stepping Stones for providing his life with meaningful work. "I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be." - Douglas Adams Information provided by survivors.