William D. “Mitch” Mitchell, 74, of Galesburg, died at 9:54 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at home.
He was born January 7, 1952, in Galesburg. He was the son of Frederick A. and Grace A. (Johnston) Mitchell. He married Teresa Tracy, the mother of his children, in 1983.
He is survived by three children, William (Jennifer) Mitchell II of Dunlap, Tracy (Alexander) Silber of Knoxville, and Thomas Mitchell of Bloomington; son of choice, David Crump Jr. of Knoxville; grandchildren, Alexia Mitchell, Lily “Elle” Mitchell, Tristin Frakes, Gabriel Mabon, William Crump, Lincoln Crump, and Sullivan Silber, expected in January 2027; a brother, Ronald Mitchell of Sumter, South Carolina; a sister, Linda (Paul) Bartosch of Davenport, Iowa; and beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Grace Mitchell; Wilma Johnston Duncan and Donald Duncan; a granddaughter, Selene Silber; and sister-in-law, Alma Mitchell.
After graduating from Knoxville High School in 1970, Mitch attended Western Illinois University, then Southern Illinois University, where he earned an Associate in Applied Science for Automotive Technology. He retired in 2022, after a nearly 50-year career as a mechanic. Over the years he had worked at Reynolds Ford in East Moline, Bearce Ford in Peoria, Lakis Ford and City Select in Galesburg, City Ford in Monmouth, and Postin’s Pit Stop in Avon. Mitch was an A.S.E. Certified Master Technician and Ford Senior Master Technician, earning many awards and certificates. He could easily diagnose an auto problem and kept the family fleet in smooth running order.
He was raised in the Lutheran Church. He was a member the American Motorcyclist Association and A.B.A.T.E. He won many field competitions and earned many trophies. Mitch recently joined the Galesburg Rifle Club, fulfilling a childhood dream he shared with childhood friend, Steve Perry, of owning a “hand cannon”. In retirement, he enjoyed watching late night movies. He was an open-minded, liberal person, who liked watching political television. He was always sharp witted and instilled a love of puns and word play in his family. He was a devoted father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his dedication to his family and will be greatly missed.
Cremation will be accorded. Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Monday, July 20, 2026, at Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens. Memorial contributions may be made to OSF Hospice or A.B.A.T.E. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services is honored to serve the family. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
