Dr. William Warren Mitchell

Dr. William Warren Mitchell, 97, died at the Mat-Su Regional Hospital in Palmer, Alaska on March 3, 2021.

Bill was born in Butte, Montana on March 10, 1923 but was raised by his grandparents in

Roundup, Montana. He had great respect and love for his grandfather and the town of

Roundup. After a semester of university, World War II began, and Bill was eager to serve his

country. At the age of eighteen, Bill enlisted as a Marine and was deployed to the Pacific

Theater. Bill's selfless love of country has been an enduring part of his character.

After his service, Bill returned to Roundup and spent time as a ranch hand and working for the

local newspaper. He was a jack-of-all-trades at the newspaper--as a reporter, an advertising

salesman, and a printing press operator. While in Roundup he took a fancy to Zorka Mastorovich, a smart, capable and pretty woman who became his wife of 50 years. Zorka recognized Bill's intelligence and nudged him back into academic pursuits. Bill received his PhD in Botany at Iowa State in 1962.

Bill, Zorka and two young children came north via the Alaska highway, arriving in Palmer in

June 1963, where Bill joined the staff of the University of Alaska Agricultural Experiment Station. During his 25 years of research work there he became an expert on northern grasses. His research took him to Iceland, Russia, and on a two-month biological survey of the proposed

oil pipeline route.

Bill developed a passion for running during the middle years of his life. He held the record in

the Master's division of the Anchorage Mayor's Marathon for a short time, and he qualified for

the Boston Marathon. But, his favorite race was the 16-mile round trip run from the Palmer

Fairgrounds to the top of Lazy Mountain. His running passion led him to give back to the

community by organizing the race that ultimately became the Bill Mitchell Fun Run, a running

event with a 40-year history.

One of the most enduring loves that Bill had was a love for animals. Bill had dogs and a cat as a child, rode horses and "rounded up" cattle in Roundup as a young adult, and shared care of his grand-dogs, cats, horses, and goats into his late eighties. His connection to animals for nearly a century made for many hilarious stories of mishaps and harrowing rides. Most importantly, he shaped the future of his children and grandchildren by embedding in their DNA this love for the gentle creatures.

During recent years you could find Bill intently watching PGA golf on the weekends. Earlier in

life, Bill played a decent game of golf. He again enriched Palmer with his passion by helping

start the Palmer Golf Course through service on its initial Advisory Board.

Bill's living room chair is surrounded by bookcases with shelves sagging from the weight of over 400 books. His intellectual curiosity focused on politics, natural and human history. He looked forward to the weekly Palmer Chamber of Commerce meetings and always had insightful questions for the presenters there. He gave back to the community by providing substantial financial support to the Palmer Public Library.

Bill worked hard at independently living through his final days. Although the physical

challenges became difficult, his still-sharp mind allowed him to

overcome them. Bill approached life with determination and a positive attitude.

Bill was predeceased by his wife Zorka and his siblings, and he is survived by his children Lynn and Alan Mitchell, his daugter-in-law Tamra Matlock, his grandchildren Briana and Braden Mitchell, and his Lower-48 nieces and nephews Bonnie Hogan, Candy Herda-Scott, Marty Ries, Susie Smith, Chuck Stallman, and Robert Stallman.

Plans for a celebration of life may be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity consistent with your personal connection to Bill.