We lost a good Boilermaker. He played with some good guys like Willie Merriweather, Jake Eison, Terry Dischinger and Tim McGinley.
RICHARD ALAN MITCHELL
JANUARY 11, 1939 – MAY 8, 2021
OUR BROTHER-OUR HERO-OUR FRIEND
WAS MY BROTHER UNIIQUE? NOT BY A LONG SHOT. WAS RICHARD UNUSUAL? NOT REALLY. MAYBE A LITTLE WEIRD SOMETIMES. WAS HE SPECIAL? CAROLYN AND I CERTAINLY THINK SO. SPECIAL IS THE WORD WE ARE LOOKING FOR. SPECIAL. AND IN SO MANY WAYS BEYOND BEING THE BEST BROTHER ANYONE COULD HOPE FOR.
IT IS SPECIAL TO BE ON THE STARTING FIVE OF ELWOOD INDIANA’S FIRST SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AND SCORING 30 POINTS AGAINST THE ARCH-RIVAL ANDERSON INDIANS. IT IS SPECIAL TO SET THE SINGLE GAME SCORING RECORD SET BY MUFF DAVIS IN 1941. MUFF WAS ELWOODS FIRST INDIANA ALL STAR. I BELIEVE RICH WAS THE SECOND. THAT IS SPECIAL. IT IS SPECIAL TO HIT SEVEN LONG RANGE JUMP SHOTS IN A ROW IN THE REGIONAL TOURNEMENT IN BUTLER(HINKLE) FIELD HOUSE. IT IS SPECIAL TO BE OFFERED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO LSU AND PURDUE UNIVERSITY. HE ACCEPTED THE PURDUE OFFER AND THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS 50% ATHLETIC AND 50% ACADEMIC. YES HE WAS SMART AND COULD HAVE GRADUATED SUMMA CUM LAUDE AND GOTTEN A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP IF IT HADNT BEEN FOR HIS GRADES IT IS SPECIAL TO BE A STARTING GUARD AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY AND MAKE THE FINAL SIX POINTS IN A COME FROM BEHIND WIN OVER JOHN WOODEN’S UCLA BRUINS. IT IS THE ONLY TIME IN HISTORY THAT PURDUE DEFEATED A WOODEN COACHED TEAM. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF HIS RATHER SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
ELWOOD HAS A BASKETBALL WALL OF FAME ON WHICH OUR LITTLE BRO IS PROMINANTLY REPRESENTED. IF THERE IS A WALL OF FAME FOR BROTHERS, MY CAROLYN AND I WOULD PUT RICHARD AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
WITH ALL THIS TALK ABOUT BASKETBALL ONE COULD GET THE IDEA THAT RICH WAS ONE DIMENSIONAL. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH. HE WAS AN AVID GOLFER, AN ACCOMPLISHED FISHERMAN, COULD SHOOT POOL AND THROIW DARTS WITH ANYONE, LOVED TO PLAY BRIDGE, A WONDERFUL COOK, A DEVOTED STUDENT OF THE BIBLE, A DEDICATED MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH AND A WILLING VOLUNTEER TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. HE OFTEN SPOKE OF HIS BIBLE STUDY GROUP AND HOW MUCH HE TREASURED THAT FELLOWSHIP. ADDITIONALLY, HE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER WITH HALLMARK EARNING THE R.B. HALL TROPHY, HALLMARKS HIGHEST SALES AWARD, BEFORE RETIRING IN 2003.
ALL THESE ARE NOTEWORTHY BUT THEY PALE IN COMPARISON TO HIS JUST BEING A SPECIAL HUMAN BEING. HIS LOVE FOR HIS BEAUTIFUL BRIDE, KAREN OF 58 YEARS WAS DEEP AND ENDURING. HE WAS A SPECIAL DAD TO HIS WONDERUL CHILDREN, MIKE, JODI, AND KARI. HIS LOVE OF ALL HIS FAMILY, HIS MOM AND DAD, HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTER, COUSINS, AUNTS, UNCLES, NIECES, NEPHEWS, IN LAWS WAS SPECIAL AND HIS LOVE FOR HIS GRANDCHILDREN WAS EXRTAORDINARILY SPECIAL AS WAS HIS LOVE FOR HIS FIRST AND ONLY GREAT GRANDCHILD, MARYBETH CLAIR SHELLER BORN NOVEMBER 14, 2020.
WHILE HIS LOVE OF HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, CLASSMATES, TEAMMATES, FRATERNITY BROTHERS, AND NEIGHBORS WAS SIGNIFICANT, ONE CANNOT SPEAK ABOUT RICH WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING HIS LOVE OF COUNTRY AND LOVE FOR HIS LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. HE KEPT THE FAITH. HIS AND KAREN’S AFFILIATION WITH THEIR WONDERFUL CHURCH, ITS PASTORS, ITS STAFF, AND ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE HAS PROVIDED THEM WITH LOVE, COURAGE, STRENGTH, FRIENDSHIPS, AND SUPPORT BEYOND WHAT WORDS CAN EXPRESS.
THE MANY FOND MEMORIES OF OUR BEST FRIEND ARE EVERLASTING AND WEWILL NEVER GET OVER OUR LOSING HIM. OUR LOSS IS HEAVENS GAIN. LET’S ALL PRAY FOR PEACE AND COMFORT FOR ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM.
MAY HE REST ETERNALLY IN HIS LOVING ARMS AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE. GOD BLESS HIM AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
RICHARD ALAN MITCHELL
JANUARY 11, 1939 – MAY 8, 2021
OUR BROTHER-OUR HERO-OUR FRIEND
WAS MY BROTHER UNIIQUE? NOT BY A LONG SHOT. WAS RICHARD UNUSUAL? NOT REALLY. MAYBE A LITTLE WEIRD SOMETIMES. WAS HE SPECIAL? CAROLYN AND I CERTAINLY THINK SO. SPECIAL IS THE WORD WE ARE LOOKING FOR. SPECIAL. AND IN SO MANY WAYS BEYOND BEING THE BEST BROTHER ANYONE COULD HOPE FOR.
IT IS SPECIAL TO BE ON THE STARTING FIVE OF ELWOOD INDIANA’S FIRST SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL AND SCORING 30 POINTS AGAINST THE ARCH-RIVAL ANDERSON INDIANS. IT IS SPECIAL TO SET THE SINGLE GAME SCORING RECORD SET BY MUFF DAVIS IN 1941. MUFF WAS ELWOODS FIRST INDIANA ALL STAR. I BELIEVE RICH WAS THE SECOND. THAT IS SPECIAL. IT IS SPECIAL TO HIT SEVEN LONG RANGE JUMP SHOTS IN A ROW IN THE REGIONAL TOURNEMENT IN BUTLER(HINKLE) FIELD HOUSE. IT IS SPECIAL TO BE OFFERED A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO LSU AND PURDUE UNIVERSITY. HE ACCEPTED THE PURDUE OFFER AND THE SCHOLARSHIP WAS 50% ATHLETIC AND 50% ACADEMIC. YES HE WAS SMART AND COULD HAVE GRADUATED SUMMA CUM LAUDE AND GOTTEN A RHODES SCHOLARSHIP IF IT HADNT BEEN FOR HIS GRADES IT IS SPECIAL TO BE A STARTING GUARD AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY AND MAKE THE FINAL SIX POINTS IN A COME FROM BEHIND WIN OVER JOHN WOODEN’S UCLA BRUINS. IT IS THE ONLY TIME IN HISTORY THAT PURDUE DEFEATED A WOODEN COACHED TEAM. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF HIS RATHER SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
ELWOOD HAS A BASKETBALL WALL OF FAME ON WHICH OUR LITTLE BRO IS PROMINANTLY REPRESENTED. IF THERE IS A WALL OF FAME FOR BROTHERS, MY CAROLYN AND I WOULD PUT RICHARD AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
WITH ALL THIS TALK ABOUT BASKETBALL ONE COULD GET THE IDEA THAT RICH WAS ONE DIMENSIONAL. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH. HE WAS AN AVID GOLFER, AN ACCOMPLISHED FISHERMAN, COULD SHOOT POOL AND THROIW DARTS WITH ANYONE, LOVED TO PLAY BRIDGE, A WONDERFUL COOK, A DEVOTED STUDENT OF THE BIBLE, A DEDICATED MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH AND A WILLING VOLUNTEER TO HELP THE LESS FORTUNATE. HE OFTEN SPOKE OF HIS BIBLE STUDY GROUP AND HOW MUCH HE TREASURED THAT FELLOWSHIP. ADDITIONALLY, HE HAD A DISTINGUISHED CAREER WITH HALLMARK EARNING THE R.B. HALL TROPHY, HALLMARKS HIGHEST SALES AWARD, BEFORE RETIRING IN 2003.
ALL THESE ARE NOTEWORTHY BUT THEY PALE IN COMPARISON TO HIS JUST BEING A SPECIAL HUMAN BEING. HIS LOVE FOR HIS BEAUTIFUL BRIDE, KAREN OF 58 YEARS WAS DEEP AND ENDURING. HE WAS A SPECIAL DAD TO HIS WONDERUL CHILDREN, MIKE, JODI, AND KARI. HIS LOVE OF ALL HIS FAMILY, HIS MOM AND DAD, HIS BROTHER AND HIS SISTER, COUSINS, AUNTS, UNCLES, NIECES, NEPHEWS, IN LAWS WAS SPECIAL AND HIS LOVE FOR HIS GRANDCHILDREN WAS EXRTAORDINARILY SPECIAL AS WAS HIS LOVE FOR HIS FIRST AND ONLY GREAT GRANDCHILD, MARYBETH CLAIR SHELLER BORN NOVEMBER 14, 2020.
WHILE HIS LOVE OF HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, CLASSMATES, TEAMMATES, FRATERNITY BROTHERS, AND NEIGHBORS WAS SIGNIFICANT, ONE CANNOT SPEAK ABOUT RICH WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING HIS LOVE OF COUNTRY AND LOVE FOR HIS LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. HE KEPT THE FAITH. HIS AND KAREN’S AFFILIATION WITH THEIR WONDERFUL CHURCH, ITS PASTORS, ITS STAFF, AND ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE HAS PROVIDED THEM WITH LOVE, COURAGE, STRENGTH, FRIENDSHIPS, AND SUPPORT BEYOND WHAT WORDS CAN EXPRESS.
THE MANY FOND MEMORIES OF OUR BEST FRIEND ARE EVERLASTING AND WEWILL NEVER GET OVER OUR LOSING HIM. OUR LOSS IS HEAVENS GAIN. LET’S ALL PRAY FOR PEACE AND COMFORT FOR ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM.
MAY HE REST ETERNALLY IN HIS LOVING ARMS AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE. GOD BLESS HIM AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
