Colonel (ret) Kenneth C.  Mitchell, CD, BASc, MEng, Peng.

On 20 October, 2017 peacefully at home in Picton, in his 81st year, family at his side. He is survived by Virginia, the love of his life and best friend for 56 years, sons Eric and Dean, and grandchildren Jennifer and Kevin, and brother Tom. Born in Ottawa in 1937, he graduated from the Royal Military College, Kingston in 1961 and in 1967 from the US Navy Test Pilot School (flight test engineer) later returning to the Royal Military College, Kingston (MEng). Ken had a long and varied military career involving project manage-ment, aircraft maintenance, flight test, and senior leadership positions. He served as base commander of Canadian Forces Base St Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and was Canada’s military attaché to Czechoslovakia just before the fall of communism there. With the cold war over, in 1991 Ken began a delightful retirement to Prince Edward County helping Virginia operate her B&B for a few years and chairing the Picton Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee and later the Community Economic Develop-ment Corporation board. Thanks to Dr. Matthews and the terrific gang of nurses at the Kingston General Hospital and the Napanee Cancer Centre who took such good care of him until the leukemia caught up with him. As he put it, he did not so much battle the disease as engage in a prolonged period of peaceful co-existence with it. Special thanks to everyone who provided end-of-life care, especially Dr Blanchard and Dr Beach, and nurse Ann Robinson. Known by all for his integrity, decisiveness, creative problem-solving and keen wit, Ken was a charming and brilliant raconteur. We shall all miss the many humorous retellings of stories from his seemingly bottomless reservoir of riveting anecdotes. Night after night his tales, always entertaining and instructive, kept everyone at the table long after the meal was over. He had a splendid run and had more fun and high adventure than he could have hoped for. Ken requested that there be no religious services or ceremonies. The party’s over now. A private interment of ashes will take place at the National Military Cemetery, Beechwood Ottawa. Memorial Donations to Hospice Prince Edward would be much appreciated. Arrangements entrusted to the Hicks Funeral Home, 2 Centre St., Picton.   613-476-5571  www.hicksfuneralhome.ca