LONGTIME LOCAL EDUCATOR LOVED ADVENTURE
Throughout his adult life, Patrick Mitchell had one goal in the distance: live to be older than 100.
The retired Chula Vista High and Francis Parker educator knew it was ambitious, but he took steps he thought might help get him there — daily exercise, vitamins, healthy foods.
About a year ago, at age 72, his hope of becoming a centenarian was shattered when he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
His health began to rapidly decline late last year. His daughter, Vanessa Mitchell-Delmotte, knew he wanted to squeeze more life into his final months, so she posted in a Facebook group inquiring about bucket list ideas in Coronado.
“My dad loves adventure,” she said, explaining that she wanted to help him have as many as he could enjoy. The outpouring from strangers turned out to be huge, making the last months adventurous indeed. Her father died Jan. 11 at home in Coronado surrounded by family.
In November, she wrote in Coronado Happenings: “My dear dad has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. I’m taking December off of work to enjoy some bucket list activities with him. Anyone have ideas?”
Within minutes, suggestions from strangers started piling up. But what stunned Mitchell-Delmotte most, she said, were comments from people offering to personally take her father on an unforgettable experience.
One offered tickets to a special viewing of “The Nutcracker,” while another offered a horse therapy session on a ranch. Others offered private surfing lessons, a family photo shoot, piano lessons, a painting session at an art gallery and a staycation at a hotel.
“I was just scrolling and scrolling. I was so overwhelmed by people’s generosity,” said Mitchell-Delmotte, 38.
Julie Wright was one of the generous strangers. She and her husband,
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Justin Wright, a search and rescue swimmer, offered to give them a private tour of a Navy helicopter squadron.
“Dad’s father was in the Navy, and I knew he had an affinity for all things Navyrelated,” Mitchell-Delmotte said.
On Dec. 9, she and her father went to North Island, where they were given a private tour of the helicopter hangar, plus an in-depth showing of the expansive fleet of aircraft there.
While the experience was primarily intended for Mitchell-Delmotte and her father, it was equally moving for the Wrights.
Witnessing the father and daughter enjoying the day together “was such a beautiful thing,” Julie Wright said. Sharing the experience with them “did more for my husband and I than we could’ve imagined.”
Others who offered adventures felt the same way, including Vickie Quinn.
Quinn and her family owned a home in Coronado for 25 years, and even though she no longer lives there, she is still a member of the Coronado Happenings Facebook group. When she stumbled upon Mitchell-Delmotte’s post, she responded: “If you bring him to Las Vegas, I can arrange a UFC fight.”
Quinn’s son is an executive at the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The tickets were his idea, she said.
Mitchell-Delmotte said her father was ecstatic. So the two traveled to Las Vegas on Dec. 11, to see a match and spend the night.
An unexpected outcome of Mitchell-Delmotte’s initial Facebook plea has been the many new friends she has made online who have supplied constant comfort and support.
“It has been the light in all of this,” she said.
She said her dad was tremendously touched, too. He said the offers he received from strangers showcase “the spirit of humanity.”
While they wanted to take everyone up on their offers, Mitchell-Delmotte said, the timing didn’t always align, and her father was becoming increasingly fatigued as the days in December passed. Still, the offers themselves meant more to them than the experiences.
“It was the reaching out. That’s what mattered,” Mitchell-Delmotte said. “Especially from people who don’t know me.”
Jeremy Cooke, a local teacher and violinist, was one of those people. When he saw Mitchell-Delmotte’s post, he offered to do a private performance. He made a point of learning some of Mitchell’s favorite music — including classics by the Beatles, Van Morrison and the Beach Boys.
“I hoped to provide a break and a boost for him and the family,” Cooke said. “I was happy to be a part of it.”
Patrick Mitchell was born Nov. 15, 1948, in Bremerton, Wash.
“Dad recently said, ‘We are what we leave behind,’ ” Mitchell-Delmotte recalled. “And he is leaving behind a very strong legacy.”
That legacy included almost a dozen years as dean of students at Chula Vista High School and almost 20 as head of the upper school at Francis Parker. He believed students should have a strong say in school governance and adopted a motto — “Do the right thing ” — to help shape their values.
“I’m of a mind that we often expect too little of our young people,” he wrote once in the Francis Parker newsletter. “In our zeal to protect them, we frequently underestimate their capacity to thrive under seemingly adverse conditions.”
He also believed in being present, rarely missing a student sporting event or musical performance, notepad in hand to jot down things he saw and heard.
“His authenticity, his kindness, his gentle laugh, his warm smile, and, of course, his yellow notepad defined who he was and how he led,” Kevin Yaley, Francis Parker’s head of school, wrote in a note to the school community. “Patrick listened first, spoke from the head and the heart, acted judiciously and cared deeply about you not because of who you were or what position you held, but simply because you were you.”
An avid traveler since childhood, Mitchell’s trips included visits to ashrams in India and hiking to the Mount Everest base camp when he was 66.
He was a devoted reader of newspapers and magazines, regularly clipping out articles and sending them to relatives and friends.
“He was always thinking of other people in various ways, and I think they’ll always remember him for that,” said his son, Derek Mitchell. “He was forever running into former students who told him that something he’d said or done had a big influence on their lives.”
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Susan Ornelas Mitchell, also a longtime educator; daughter Vanessa Mitchell-Delmotte (and son-in-law Joseph Delmotte) of Chula Vista; son, Derek Mitchell (Komala Ramachandra) of Washington, D.C.; siblings, Michael Mitchell of San Marcos, Terry Mitchell of San Diego, Shawn Mitchell of Beaumont, and Timothy Mitchell of Flagler Beach, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
A celebration of life is scheduled for Jan. 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Feast & Fareway restaurant in Coronado.