In Memory of
Charles George Mitchell Jr.
March 16, 1928 - February 3, 2018
Obituary
Charles George Mitchell Jr., age 89, of the
Packanack Lake section of Wayne, passed peacefully on
Saturday, February 3, 2018.
He was born to Charles and Lillian Mitchell on March 16,
1928 and raised in Jersey City where he graduated from
St. Michael's High School with the Class of 1946. In
1952 he enlisted in the US Navy during the Korean War
and served most of his time in Virginia Beach, VA. For
much of his service he was a Signalman positioned in a
land based tower and signaling ships with Morse code
flashes of light from a search lamp fitted with a
shutter. He was honorably discharged in 1954 and
received the National Defense Service Medal for his
service.
Charles joined the Port Authority Police Department in
1956 where he was initially stationed collecting tolls
since toll collecting and driving the Port Authority tow
trucks were the responsibility of the Port Authority
Police at the time he started his career. During his
years with the department he began taking night school
courses at Seton Hall University where he received a
degree in Criminal Justice. Over the course of his
career at the Port Authority Charles advanced to
Sergeant and ultimately the rank of Lieutenant before he
retired from the department in 1990.
Charles and his wife Patricia moved into the Packanack
Lake section of Wayne in 1950’s when many area roads
were still dirt. They were founding parishioners of
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne and were
fixtures at Sunday Noon Mass for many years.
Charles was a loving and devoted husband of fifty-one
years to his late wife Patricia (McDermott) Mitchell who
passed away in January of 2003. He was a lifelong New
York Giants Fan, amateur wood carver, and super
organized. He was also an animal lover and enjoyed the
company of his late dogs Mickey (Boxer) and Digger
(Labrador Retriever).
Charles was the loving father of John Mitchell and his
wife Linda of Rye, New York, Jim Mitchell and his wife
Debbie of Cedar Grove, Thomas Mitchell and his wife
Kelly of Vernon, and Mary Ann Atherton and her husband
Jason of Virginia; he was the cherished grandfather of
Christopher, Brian, Samantha, Matthew (d.2015), Billy,
and Hannah Mitchell, and Eliza and Fiona Atherton.
Friends may visit with the family from 4pm - 7pm on
Friday, February 9, 2018 at the Vander May Wayne
Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held 9 AM on Saturday, February
10, 2018 from the funeral home then to Immaculate Heart
of Mary RC Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne where a 10 AM
Funeral Mass will be offered.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Immaculate
Heart of Mary Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, NJ 07470
would be appreciated.
Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral
Home
567 Ratzer Road
Wayne, NJ
