Photog `Mitch' Mitchum dies at 56
Vacaville native William “Mitch” Mitchum Jr., an avid photographer, civicminded community volunteer, IT employee at Travis Credit Union for more than three decades and a cheerful friend to many, died April 8 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 56.
Memorial services will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday in McCune Garden Chapel, 212 Main St., Vacaville, and the funeral, immediately afterward, will be held at Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery, 522 Elmira Road.
All are welcome to attend, his wife, Phyllis, indicated in a post on Lightwriters Photography Club's Facebook page.
In addition to a deep passion for photography, including leading the Lightwriters, Mitch Mitchum, by all accounts, loved being involved in his community. He was a Fiesta Days volunteer, wearing a cowboy hat and minding the “jail” at the city celebrations in May. He also organized fishing derbies for local children. He was a supporter of Vacaville's “National Night Out” event, helping host the annual block party in his neighborhood. And during the Christmas holidays, he often played Santa Claus for family and friends.
In an email and telephone interview Friday, friend and fellow photography buff John Atkinson, describing him as “so civically minded,” recalled that during election season, Mitch and his wife devoted considerable energy to the county's Adopt-A-Poll program for their shared precinct.
“He and Phyllis got everything organized and really pulled that stuff together,” Atkinson said, adding, “I fear they are going to have a hard time finding anyone else that could bring that same indomitable force to bear in the future.”
Atkinson said he and Mitch bonded over photography.
“He had a very curious, playful mind,” he remembered in the email. “That led to a lot of camera experimentation for us, because I have a tinkerer's heart. We would brainstorm to try to come up with ways to create imagery that was unique and unusual. This included light painting, miniature work, trick photography and using Photoshop to play tricks on the mind of the audience viewing his work.”
“But it is not to say he neglected the classical — we also did a lot of hiking (especially in his beloved Lagoon Valley Park) to photograph nature, animals, landscapes, etc.,” Atkinson added in his written statement. “He also had a particular fondness for urban art, and he would photograph graffiti on railcars, buildings, and wherever. We once spent a day in San Francisco's Mission District photographing every mural and tagging we could find.”
Lightwriters club member Kathy Keatley Garvey recollected her photo-judging days during the Dixon May Fair.
“When I judged the photos at the Dixon May Fair during COVID, I selected his photo as best of show — not because I knew him but because his work was the best,” she wrote in a text message to The Reporter.
“Mitch really did a lot as the president” of Lightwriters, said Keatley Garvey. “The club meets monthly at the Roundtable Pizza and each member can share five photos. Sometimes there were 20 members sharing five photos so it was quite a project for him to showcase each photo. Then there was a vote as to which one was the best. I know he took a lot of photo trips with fellow members.
“All in all, he was a terrific guy, a terrific photographer and a community servant.”
Said Atkinson: “We were kind of pinned down by this long stretch of stormy weather, and I was looking forward to connecting up with him right about now — when we are getting some fair and warm weather. I also had a standing invitation to come over and go into `mad scientist mode' together. He also liked to tinker, and he always had ideas for making cool things, and I would help him because I have more experience with electronics and such.”
By his account, Atkinson said Mitch also loved collecting a variety of things, but especially old cameras.
“And shooting with film, ” he added. “We used to do some developing in his garage. He had quite a collection of antique and vintage cameras, and they all worked — he would insist when looking at purchasing old cameras that he be able to test to make sure they were operational.”
In a telephone interview, Phil Venable, a retired Contra Costa County Sheriff's deputy and Lightwriters club member, remembered Mitch as “just one of those guys who would give you the shirt off his back. If you were his friend, you were his friend.
“I'll remember most that that I could always count on him,” he added about the Vacaville High graduate. “If I needed some help with something, he was always there. He was a good friend.”
Atkinson wrote that his friend for nearly 20 years “was like a big friendly dog (which is funny, because he had a big friendly dog named Nova). As loyal as any friend you could ever want. Great sense of humor (he was the best audience I'd ever had for my silly jokes), and in possession of a truly playful and inquisitive mind. So much fun to hang out with. I'm really going to miss doing that.”
“I have to run some errands this afternoon, and I know the experience will be emotional,” he added. “I did so the other day, and I swear I couldn't drive more than half a block without seeing something that reminded me of Mitch. That's how infused he was with Vacaville and this area. The town seems a whole lot smaller now, and emptier.”
Besides wife Phyllis, Mitch is survived by his father, Bill, many aunts, uncles, friends and co-workers. He was preceded in death by his mother, Bernadine Mitchum.