RIP Walter Mitchell
From SouthCoastToday.com:
Mitchell remembered as ‘Renaissance man,’ good friend
April 08, 2010 12:00 AMBy BRIAN J. LOWNEY
Fall River Spirit Correspondent
When Walter Mitchell died on March 21, the city of Fall River lost a true Renaissance man whose memory will be forever etched upon the hearts of all those who were blessed with his friendship.
This Bunyanesque 66-year-old man, known for his trademark plaid shirts and wild mane of hair, looked more like an eccentric professor than an elementary school librarian, but once you got to know him, it was apparent that he was indeed a gentle giant with a heart of gold and a wonderful sense of humor.
Mitchell, like his Irish forebears, was a consummate raconteur. He regaled listeners with tales of the strict Holy Union sisters, who with his parents Walter Sr. and Margaret, planted the seeds of a strong Catholic faith that remained steadfast until the end. In recent years, he often attended Mass celebrated in the traditional Latin rite that was customary in his youth.
While Mitchell was an expert on Fall River’s rich and colorful history, whether the topic was Lizzie Borden, the city’s once bustling downtown, church architecture or the Old Fall River Line, his heart was always in the scenic White Mountains of New Hampshire, where he worked summers and many weekends during the school year at the Mount Washington Cog Railway, where he served as clerk-in-charge at the post office on top of the lofty peak.
Upon hearing of Mitchell’s untimely passing, many of his longtime colleagues from “the Cog” wrote in the funeral home online guest book about the wonderful exchanges they had enjoyed during the past 40 years and how they treasured Mitchell’s warm friendship and the wisdom that he shared so generously.
“I’ll miss Walter and the many conversations we had about the Cog Railway,” wrote Paul Forbes. “Walter truly loved the Cog and those steam engines. We both often talked about how amazing it was that the Cog was still running after all these decades. Walter was a wealth of knowledge and I’m glad he shared some of it with me. Godspeed, Walter.”
For retired Fall River educator Dr. Jean Botelho Parenteau, Walter was a trusted colleague and good friend for almost 40 years.
“He loved all the mountains of New Hampshire,” Parenteau said, adding that Walter often enjoyed hiking throughout the Granite State before suffering heart problems several years ago.
Parenteau mentioned that her late friend also found pleasure in organ recitals, and learned to play the instrument as an adult.
“He went to every organ recital that he could,” Parenteau recalled, noting that the last time she saw Walter alive was at a recent performance held at St. Anthony of Padua Church in New Bedford.
It was the bibliophile’s love of the written word, however, that impressed his good friend.
“He loved the library, he loved books,” Parenteau said. “He was always with books and he liked to see the kids reading.”
Parenteau added that Mitchell was much like a hermit, and enjoyed simple pleasures and the comforts of home.
“He liked his own company,” she reflected, adding that Mitchell also knew his way around the kitchen and despite being a bachelor, loved to cook and would prepare hearty meals from traditional recipes that reflected his great love of New England.
One of my fondest recollections of Mitchell is of the time when he had finally settled into his own home on Anthony Street and sought a dog for companionship. Another friend, who ran a boarding kennel, informed me that a family had relinquished a beautiful Australian shepherd named Molly that needed a new home.
Mitchell agreed to meet the large dog, and the pair immediately bonded. They enjoyed many wonderful years of companionship and countless drives together.
“You’re such a good dog,” Mitchell often told the beautiful canine, who eagerly showered her owner with unconditional love.