Charles M. Mitchell

Mr. Charles M. Mitchell of Sun City died at his home on Sunday, December 1, 2013. Mr. Mitchell was born in Danbury, Connecticut, December 30, 1930. He was a Danbury High School graduate (1948), and received a B.A. degree from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania in 1953. He was a member of the Army ROTC program but never entered the service due to a spinal injury suffered in college football. Mr. Mitchell started his business career in the banking business in New York City in 1954, but found his true loves in 1955 by going into the advertising publishing business and also meeting Betty Ann Geen of Redding, Connecticut, whom he married in 1956. Mr. Mitchell worked for two different publishing companies in New York City from 1955 until 1983, where he rose through the ranks from ad sales to VP of Sales. In 1983, Charlie and his entrepreneurial l spirit took the big step and formed Office Systems Magazine, Inc., which he located in Georgetown, Connecticut, with sales offices in New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He was the founder of two specialized office product magazines. The magazines were sold in the late 1980's to Reed Elsevier, a leading international publisher. Charlie remained with them as publisher until 1997. He continued to serve as advisor to the magazines for many years after Reed sold them to a North Carolina firm. By then, the Mitchells had moved to Hilton Head in 1995, and in 2003 moved to Sun City, South Carolina. Mr. Mitchell was a long time member of the Wexford Club as served as an officer on their board of directors. He was very active in golf in the Low Country and was best known at Sun City for his weekly sports television show, Between the Lines. Mr. Mitchell was appointed as a charter delegate to the South Carolina Silver Hair Legislature for Beaufort County in 1999, where he served two terms. He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1997 for Hilton Head Town Council. He was involved in a host of civic activities when he lived in Redding, Connecticut, from 1962 until 1995. He was a founding member of the Redding Country Club, where he served as president of the club for several terms in the 1970's. In 2005, Mr. Mitchell was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus award and a "chair" by his alma mater Lycoming College. He also received a "Special Person" award from the USCB Athletic Department in April, 2010. In the summer of 2010 Charlie led the drive for petition signings throughout Beaufort County for the petition candidate, Doug Henderson for County Treasurer. He was successful with the help of many volunteers, obtaining over 10,000 voter signatures. He then became the campaign manager for Doug who was elected in November of 2010 as an Independent Candidate. Charlie also served on the Committee to Preserve the Heritage as being active volunteer in The Low Country. Charlie loved the Red Sox in the AL and became a strong follower and rooter for the Atlanta Braves after moving south in 1995. He was proud of his sports trivia knowledge and his 2 holes-in-one during his long years of playing golf - one recorded at Wexford #3 in 2001. He and his wife Babe were great entertainers and will be remembered for their wonderful dinner and cook-out parties, highlighted by Babe's home cooking and Charlie's trivia contests and party games. He was a true Raconteur. Entrepreneurial activity was Charlie's true calling, and he demonstrated the power of win/win before it became a business buzzword. He was a firm believer that small business is the backbone of the U.S. economy and was proud to be known as one in his business days. To the surprise of his friends and former business associates, Charlie accepted a role to be the southern advertising rep for Yankee magazine. Charlie was back where he wanted to be, selling advertising, and began his new career in January of 2012. For the first time in Yankee history, founded in 1935, readers began to see southern firms advertising in Yankee. It was often said of Charlie "he was born under an advertising insertion order and when he goes, he'll have one in his hand." He accomplished this. He is survived by his loving wife, Babe, his son Michael, his daughter-in-law, Linda, 2 grandsons Michael "The Kid" and Matthew of Redding, Connecticut, his devoted daughter Kelly Anne and son-in-law Kevin McDonnell, of Andover, New Jersey, and Charlie's pride and joy girls (granddaughters), Ashley and Allyson McDonnell. He was predeceased by a son Kevin in 1984. He also is survived by 2 sisters, two brothers-in-law, two nieces and a nephew. Services will be held at Sacred Heart Church, 30 Church Street, Georgetown, Connecticut at 11:30 a.m., Monday, December 9, 2013 with burial following at Umpawaug Cemetery. A reception will be held immediately following the burial. Donations in his memory may be sent to the Boys and Girls Club of Redding-Easton, P.O. Box 333, Redding Ridge, Connecticut 06876. He will be buried at the family plot in Umpawaug Cemetery, Redding, Connecticut.