Obituary of Anne Marie Mitchell

Anne Mitchell passed away peacefully at her home with her daughter, Janice; granddaughter, Katie; friend, Henry and her two Shepherds by her side. She was 81. Anne was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 21, 1935 to Charles & Helen (Steinbeck) Robinson. Her family moved to Santa Cruz when she was 12 years old. She graduated from the Cabrillo College Nursing Program and worked nights while raising a family. Anne married the love of her life, Robert Arthur Mitchell, also known as Moose and they settled in the Santa Cruz Mountains to raise their family. Anne and Robert treasured the time they spent together at Mitchell's Cove and Castle Beach. They enjoyed traveling the coast with their dog, Reggie, as co-pilot. She always kept her family active and had her children involved in the Scouts, little league, 4H Club, ballet and piano lessons. She was a Den Mother for the Scouts in the Happy Valley area. There were many nights spent at the old club house which is no longer there at the entrance of the Happy Valley School. They also had a small farm at the old homestead and participated in the County Fair for many years. She was known for loving her dogs, who always took priority. Even with a busy home life Anne still found time to volunteer for Saint Vincent de Paul, providing help for the needy. She was a woman of many talents. She had a passion for cooking and loved to entertain back in the day. She was a chef in her own way, always up to trying a new recipe and would put a spin on it to make it her own. She did her own home improvement projects including refinishing the kitchen cabinets and living room shelves, tiling the bathroom and making a small rock path outside of her kitchen. Anne was also an avid gardener and had a passion for growing flowers and vegetables. Before it became popular, she was big on recycling and composting to add nutrients to the soil to grow her Easter lilies, red roses, camellias, lilacs, daffodils, vegetables and fruit trees. During her final days she saw her white lilacs blooming outside her window and her flowers decorated her room. She was still waiting for her fruit trees to bear fruit. She also had a pond and she enjoyed watching her Koi fish grow. Anne is survived by her son, Robert (Ruth) Mitchell; grandchildren Alek and Allison and 6 great-grandchildren from Western Australia; daughter, Helen Mitchell; grandchildren, Ericka, Nathan and Nettie Pearl and 5 great-grandchildren; and daughter, Janice Mitchell; grandchildren, Alicia and Katie and her first great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Robert "Moose" Mitchell, and her furry companion, Thor. Anne kept her love strength, courage and sense of humor until the end. She felt that she had a blessed and complete life and her family felt blessed to have her in their lives. She will be deeply missed and always remembered. At Anne's request a private family service was held and she was laid to rest, along with her husband, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Santa Cruz. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Anne's name can be made to Hospice of Santa Cruz County (www.hospicesantacruz.org) or the Saint Francis Soup Kitchen (www.stfrancissoupkitchen.org).