August 25, 1938 - December 10, 2019
Deacon Ray Leon Mitchell was born on Aug. 25, 1938 to Francis Cain and Rayfield Mitchell in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the second oldest of eight children.
Deacon Mitchell attended Booker T. Washington High school in Louisiana until he left and went into the Navy. Whilestationed at Moffet Field in Mountain View, CA he met and married Alberta McGee. To this union, three children were born; Donald, Latonia Yvette and Xylidine Denine.
They traveled around the world for the next sixteen years and eventually settled down in East Palo, CA In 1974, he retired after 20 years of Navy service. A year later in 1975, he went to work for the Veterans Administration(VA) hospital in Palo Alto, CA where he worked for 20 years.
He later joined Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist church where he became an ordained Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School teacher and Vice-Chairman of the Deacon Board. Deacon Mitchell was a very faithful member and worked hard for the church and loved every minute of it. No one or anything could change his mind about his walk with Christ. He loved his family and sometimes would work two jobs to send his children to school.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters and one brother. He leaves to cherish his memories - his loving wife of 58 years Alberta Mitchell; son- Donald Mitchell of San]ose, daughters -Latonia Yvette Mitchell of East Palo Alto and Xylidine Denine Mitchell of Sunnyvale; two sisters - Mary Ann Graham and Denise Johnson of Dallas, TX and one brother Troy]ohnson of Dallas, TX; six grandchildren - Elisha Mitchell, Tandra Mitchell, Niko Mavrakakis, Patrick Mitchell, Isaiah Mitchell, Destiny Mitchell and two great grandchildren.
He also leaves behind a mother in-law, brother in law Earl McGee who was like a brother to him, three God children: Ainsley and Adrianne Hargest of Minnesota , Rickey Whitfield of Pennsylvania; two foster sons: Johnnie and John Earl Hill and a host of brother and sister in-laws who loved him very much along with other family members and friends.