Tommy Gene Mitchell Sr.

Tommy Gene Mitchell Sr., 76, of Almyra passed away Tuesday, Mar. 13, 2018. Tommy was born Nov. 18, 1941, to Lester and Ella Mitchell. He spent his entire life in the Almyra area where his family owned a little country store called Mitchell's Grocery. Through those years he made many friends who became family over time. Like his parents, he loved each and every one. Later in his teen years, he worked on a nearby farm close to home until 1964 when he went to work for the U.S. Federal Fish Farm until 1984. At that time he left and went into a full-time house-painting business. Painting was his passion and he was a perfectionist. Over the 32 years of his business he worked from sun up to sun down working hard to please his customers and many of those customers were loyal and they only wanted the best and that was Tommy. In 2014 he was awarded the Reader's Choice Award-Best Painter and he and his family were so proud. In the beginning of 2016 his 32 years of his painting business ended due to health reasons which got in the way of the work he loved. He once again received the Reader's Choice Award-Best Painter ending his career on top. Tommy enjoyed people and loved life. He made friends everywhere he went and loved to make people smile and laugh, it's what he did best. Over the next two years after his career ended, he had to make a lot of adjustments. He enjoyed going to the Senior Center every day and visiting with friends. On Fridays he had a special friend, Ronnie Hayes, who would pick him up and take him to lunch. He enjoyed warm sunny days where he sat in his swing listening to the birds sing and enjoying nature. Many times he said he felt closer to God out in his swing in the beauty and peacefulness of the country. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Ella Mitchell. Those left to cherish his memory are one son, Tommy Mitchell Jr. (Robin) of Stuttgart; one daughter, Shelley Carrigan (Fred) of Carlisle; one brother, Troy Mitchell (Dean) of Stuttgart; his grandchildren, Mitchell Nordberg (Tiffany) of Carrollton, Ky., Clint Nordberg (Bridget) of Almyra, Elaina Sims (Bryce) of Tollville and Sarah Emfinger (Matthew) of Cabot; great-grandchildren, Kayden and Hunter of Carrollton, Ky., Eden and Garner of Tollville, Stella and Vincent of Cabot and Carter of Almyra; and four very special friends, William and Margie McPherson, Dotsy Skarda and a longtime family friend and sister, Sara Caroline Eldridge Mills. Remember him with smiles and laughter, for that is how he would remember you. A memorial service will be 10 a.m. Friday at St. John's Lutheran Church with visitation one hour before the service. His family requests memorials to J. Shannon Fleming, Ed.D., UAMS Reynolds Institute on Aging, 4301 E. Markham St., #748, Little Rock, Ark. 72205, or St. John's Lutheran Church, 205 E. Fifth St., Stuttgart, Ark. 72160. Please go to www.turpin-co.com to sign the online guestbook.