John Brent Mitchell's Obituary
John Brent Mitchell, 80, of West Valley City, Utah, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on April 26, 2025.
John was born June 9, 1944 in Salt Lake City, UT to Donald Bud and Mamie Irene Mitchell. John graduated from West High School and married his high school sweetheart, Linda McArthur. They welcomed John’s daughter, Mitzi, into their lives before later divorcing. John then married Glory Layton and together they had two sons, Brodie and Mitch.
John’s lifelong career, spanning over 40 years, began at the Newspaper Agency Corporation. Due to his amazing work ethic, John worked his way up and was the production manager for the Deseret News when he retired.
On any given day, our Dad could be found outside washing his cars in just his shorts. Unless you saw him going to work, you would think shorts were all he owned. Dad loved nice cars—his favorite was the Corvette—and he owned four within his lifetime.
Dad’s best days though were spent with family and friends at Willard Bay. These memories began when Dad bought a small boat, and that small boat started a long tradition of water-skiing within our family. The Mitchell and Nelson family adventures even made it into the newspaper with an article that featured a picture of both Dad and his nephew Jeff skiing.
Our father was a very patient, easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of guy. (And if you knew him, you probably read that twice, right?) No, he wasn’t patient—but he was kind. And he wasn’t easy-going, but when he was around, things were done right and he managed to make it fun. He was the first to help a neighbor, and if the sidewalks needed shoveling, he needed the exercise. He was known for his clean cars, his perfect lawn, his immaculate house, and everybody loved our Dad.
John is survived by his three children, Mitzi Fox (Ike), Brodie Mitchell (Nichole Robinson), and Mitch Mitchell (Tiffiny); his brother Mark Mitchell (Lynne); his sisters Margo Smith (Steve) and Micki Baumgartner (Steve); 5 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Irene Mitchell; his sisters Dawn Callister, and Jone Nelson; and his granddaughter Nicole Fox
A celebration of John’s life will be held Friday May 2, 2025 at 6:30 PM at Premier Funeral Services (Salt Lake City, Utah). In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. And the family would like to give special thanks to Jerry Jennings and Kathy Distin for their lifelong friendship to our father.
He is missed dearly and this world seems different to us now, but his lasting influence will continue to guide our lives. “The king is gone, but not forgotten.”
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