Edith Mitchell

Edith Pontier Mitchell passed away at home in Whiting, NJ on December 13, 2020, after a year-long battle with cancer. She was born on October 27, 1935 in Passaic, New Jersey and the family lived in Paterson and Passaic before moving to Clifton.

Edith graduated from Clifton High School in 1953. She did office work for 1 year at T.A. & D.A. Troy in New York City and then decided to follow her sister into nursing school, attending Passaic General Hospital’s School of Nursing. She became a registered nurse in 1957. Her training involved taking classes at Rutgers Newark, and additional nursing experiences at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital for psychiatric nursing and Columbia Presbyterian for pediatrics. Her nursing career covered medical/surgical nursing, infectious diseases, private duty, and eventually, care for the elderly in nursing homes and Alzheimer’s units. The AIDS crisis arose during her career while working in infectious diseases and isolation cases. She took care of all her patients with great care and respect, regardless of their background.

In August of 1957, she married Carroll Ray Mitchell, after he returned from the Air Force during the Korean Conflict, and they raised their family in Clifton, New Jersey. She was an excellent and loving mother, full of love for her entire family. She also took special interest and care over her sister’s children, Stephen, Melinda and Christopher, after her sister passed away at a young age.

During her medical career, Edith worked first at Passaic General Hospital, then did private duty for several years. She then worked at Little Sisters of the Poor in Totowa and finally Seacrest Village Nursing Home in Tuckerton, caring for patients with dementia. After retirement she lived in Manahawkin and then Whiting, NJ. She enjoyed sewing and making things and sharing her creativity with others. She was an avid reader and loved to play the piano.

She was a member of Brookdale Baptist Church in Bloomfield for many years, and later Manahawkin Baptist Church and Whiting Bible Church. Her great interest was teaching children - she taught children in neighborhood Good News Clubs, Bible School, Pioneer Girls and Mothers with Preschoolers. When someone was sick or she saw a family in need, she would often deliver homemade food and frequently sent small gifts and cards to those who were hurting.

Edith is predeceased by her mother, Euphemia (Robertson) Pontier, her father, Gerrit Pontier and sister, Elizabeth Pontier Temple. She is also predeceased by an infant son and an infant daughter. Carroll Ray Mitchell, her husband of 60 years, passed away in 2017.

Edith is survived by her son, David Mitchell and his wife, Maria, and daughter, Colleen Mitchell, 3 grandchildren (Justin, Stefanie, and Benjamin), and 2 great grandchildren (Luca and Nathan), and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Edith’s doctors, Dr. Bruce Peters of Toms River, Dr. Adam Luginbuhl of Jefferson University Hospital, Dr. Rajesh Iyer, Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Apurv Agrawal, Oncologist, and the hospice team from Compassionate Care Hospice.

Due to Covid-19, the viewing and service will be the same day at Whiting Bible Church, 95 Lacey Road, Whiting NJ 08759 on Monday, December 21st. Viewing will be at 10 and service will be at 11am. Covid-19 restrictions apply to Church and Cemetery alike. MASKS and SOCIAL DISTANCE REQUIRED. A brief Committal Service will follow at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery.

If you wish, donations can be made to The Atlantic City Rescue Mission to help the homeless, https://www.acrescuemission.org/ or Child Evangelism Fellowship of New Jersey, https://www.cefonline.com/ .