Obituary of John Mitchell

John Mitchell (February 5, 1951 †" July 15, 2009) After a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 58, the eternal optimist leaves the earth he loved to ascend to another plane and live among the stars to watch over his family and friends. He leaves behind on this earth his beloved wife, forever friend and soulmate, Hyacinthe Eykelhof , and daughter Stephanie(Ben), of whom he was so proud. Also his mother Mary and sister Starr (Roy) and mother-in-law Anne and the late Harry Eykelhof (1985); sisters-in-law Jo (Swen) and Paula (Jim) and brother †"in-law, Alex (Adija). He will be missed but never forgotten by his nieces and nephews: Emma Ingram, Erik, Hayley, Eli and Sarah Shannon , and Adrian Eykelhof. Also his faithful dog, Sydney, who never left his side when he was sick. He was predeceased by his father, Harris(2003) and his first wife, Bernadette (1988) John was a professional photographer and videographer whose special interest was nature and wildlife. He traveled around North America filming for Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, via Ellis (Keg)Productions and when he was home, one was never sure what kind of creature, he was filming in his studio. He was extremely enthusiastic about imparting his knowledge to those around him and loved telling people, especially children, about wildlife and nature. He was a fount of information and if he didn†™t know the answer he found it for you. When he could no longer work in the field, he taught macro and nature photography at Niagara College as well as giving lectures to various camera clubs. He made the last trip of his career to Australia in December 2008. John loved nature in all its forms and specialized in macro photography and videography, focusing especially on reptiles, spiders, scorpions and anything creepy and crawly, as well as the beautiful , such as birds, mammals, butterflies, sunsets and vistas . John was an avid science fiction fan and particularly loved Stargate, SG-1 (his all-time favourite) and Atlantis, plus Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars and the Star Trek series. Our thanks go to Dr. Findlay and the Oncology nurses and Dr. Blewett. Special thanks to Dr. Boily, Dr. S. Hartman, the CCAC nurses (especially Leanne and Paula, who went above and beyond the call of duty to help us), Dorsey from Paramed, Hospice Niagara, the laboratory staff at the Niagara Health System, St. Catharines General Site, especially the Histology Department, for all their love and support and strength during this very hard time. John has ascended to the next plane of existence and is now among the stars, without pain, watching over us with his love. In accordance with John†™s wishes, he has been cremated. Family and friends will be received at the GEORGE DARTE FUNERAL CHAPEL, 585 Carlton St, on Saturday July 25, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. A Celebration of John's life will be held in the chapel at 12:30 p.m. Donations to the Walker Family Cancer Centre or Hospice Niagara would be appreciated by the family.