William "Champ" Mitchell

William Graham Champion Mitchell, aged 77, of New Bern, NC, passed away on October 8, 2024. Champ Mitchell was born in Wake County, NC on December 24, 1946 to the late Burley Bayard Mitchell and Dorothy Ford Champion.

Champ received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1969, served on Active Duty as a Naval Surface Warfare Officer, and then returned to law school at Chapel Hill. He received his Juris Doctor in 1975. During Champ’s career as a corporate litigator, he was a Partner at Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, Winston Salem; and a Partner at Howry & Simon in Washington, D.C. His corporate career highlights include Senior Vice President for External Affairs R.J. Reynolds Company Nabisco; Executive Vice President R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Executive Vice President of Verisign INC; and Chief Executive Officer of Network Solutions Inc. At the time of his death, Champ Mitchell served on the Board of Directors of Research Triangle Institute International and ARGAN Inc. His service on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors was cut short by his first cancer diagnosis.

He is survived by his wife, Etteinne “ET” Mitchell; three children, William Graham Mitchell (Havila), Margaret Mitchell Flatley, and Morgan Benjamin Andreiev (Jenna); and four grandchildren: Nathan Flatley, Allison Mitchell, Mason Mitchell, and Miles Mitchell; and his brother, the Honorable Burley Bayard Mitchell, Jr (Lou).

ET and Morgan would like to thank New Bern’s medical community, particularly Dr. Michael Fugimagari. The outstanding care by numerous doctors and nurses at Carolina East Medical Center and Coastal Carolina Health Center enabled Champ to beat the odds for over ten years. Pruitt Hospice and Ms. Evelyn Saunders’ care team eased his last days.

In lieu of flowers, Champ would prefer to be remembered through donations to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in New Bern, at 10:00 am on Friday, October 11, 2024 with a reception following at the Harrison Center.

Online condolences to the family may be made at www.cottenfuneralhome.com.

Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the family and friends of William Graham Champion Mitchell.