Enjoyed painting and gardening
MELROSE — Sara Christine Mitchell, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and artist, passed away peacefully on May 30 in Melrose surrounded by her family.
Born on August 31, 1944 in Abilene, TX, Sara was the daughter of Robert and Verna Rank Edgren. When Sara was just months old, her father was drafted into World War II and later lost his life in France. In the wake of this loss, Sara and her mother Verna returned to Verna’s native Iowa and settled in the city of Cedar Rapids. She spent much time at her Uncle Lloyd’s farm growing up and was loved by her large family of aunts and uncles in Deep River, IA.
Sara attended Immaculate Conception grammar school and graduated from Regis High School, class of 1962. Sara went on to enroll at Clarke College and eventually the University of Iowa where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. It was there she met Kent Mitchell whom she married in 1968. After a brief time pursuing her teaching certificate and studio art classes at Webster College, she taught science at a high school in St. Louis, Missouri for a year. Sara and Kent ultimately settled in Brookline where they would make their home for many decades.
In Boston, Sara enrolled in graduate classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and worked as a framer in various art galleries. She was engaged in photography, silk-screening, pastel work, drawing, carpentry and painting. Sara went on to focus her energy on raising her two children for several years. She then became a teacher at their local elementary school for 24 years where she was deeply beloved. Known fondly by many children at the school, she was a warm and compassionate teacher; always ready to smile and hug any child who called out her name. Sara made learning fun at all costs, often foregoing formal school rules. She was nicknamed the “pied piper” of the school for a time given the amount of children who flocked to spend time with her.
Sara’s creative interests, throughout her life, were many. She painted, gardened, renovated her historic Victorian house and brought an irrepressible aesthetic sense to everything she did. Known for her feisty ambition, independence and delicate sensibility; she rewired an entire house without the help of an electrician, was often found on ladders repairing ceilings and was known to tackle jobs that few homeowners would dare attempt themselves. In her later years, she was even found in her cowgirl boots and hat, standing on her kitchen counter, repairing the cupboards…she was capable of anything she put her mind to and never ceased to surprise her community with an unknown niche skill.
Sara faced the challenges of dementia in her later years. Her annual trips to Iowa came to an end as she was moved to memory care in Melrose near her daughter Katherine Mitchell. During her short time there, she left an indelible mark on the community, known by all for her warm smile, joy in music and dancing, her botanical interests and her fierce independent streak.
Sara is survived by her devoted husband Kent Mitchell; her son Eliot Mitchell and his wife Jane Sandor of Altadena, CA; her daughter Katherine Mitchell and her husband Daniel DiRico of Melrose; and her four grandchildren Brooks and Thea Mitchell and Madeleine and Aidan DiRico.
A celebration of life ceremony for Sara will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the Andover Chapel located at 210 Lowell St., Andover. Friends and relatives are cordially invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Native Plant Trust. To sign online guestbook, go to gatelyfh.com.