Glenn Lloyd Mitchell

It is with extreme sadness we announce the passing of Glenn Lloyd Mitchell on December 17th in Vernon.

Glenn leaves to mourn his loving wife of 27 years, Rhoda, sons Justin and Lucas, his adoring parents Lloyd and Marion, brothers Kevin (Stacy), Murray (Coralee), and Craig. Also left behind are nieces and nephews; Kristi (Sean Zubick), Max, Nick, Brandon, Andrew, Alex, Jesse, Kylie and great niece Lola.

Glenn was born in New Westminster and moved to Vernon’s East Hill at three years old, starting elementary school at Silver Star. He later attended Fulton Secondary and Vernon Senior Secondary Schools, graduating in 1978. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at Simon Fraser University. Glenn finished his education by studying journalism at Cariboo College in Kamloops.

He began his newspaper career at the Hope Standard before coming home to Vernon, joining the brand-new Morning Star as sports editor in 1988. For a spell he was editor of the Salmon Arm Observer before returning to the Morning Star as managing editor where he remained until his retirement in 2018. Glenn’s column, Mitchell’s Musings, was treasured by many for its entertaining and thought-provoking content. All who worked with Glenn loved his kindness, smirks, smiles and gentle ways.

Glenn, who played broomball, flag football, baseball, soccer, and golf throughout his life, met Rhoda at the Vernon Lodge. Three months later, supported by his brother Craig, he strode into Rhoda’s office on the pretext of purchasing auto insurance. A courtship ensued and they were married at Historic O’Keefe Ranch. Glenn loved travel and conversation. A recent adventure highlight was a trip to New York City in 2019 where they celebrated their 25th anniversary and were joined by their eldest son Justin.

Glenn was community minded. He coached minor hockey and baseball and volunteered with high school football, rarely missing his sons’ games. Glenn served on the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation board of directors and the BC- Yukon Community Newspaper Association (Press Council).

Glenn was blessed with countless loyal friends, many still from high school, and ran a close-knit group of 12 reporters at the tri-weekly publication for 15 of his 30 years. He was well-known throughout Vernon, as evident by the 1200+ likes and comments on a Facebook post announcing his death.

Arrangements are in the care of Pleasant Valley Funeral Home in Vernon. A small family service will take place at All Saints Anglican Church on Saturday, January 2 at 1:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on YouTube. The YouTube link for the service is https://youtu.be/fWIHKXmKS6g. Please contact Pleasant Valley Funeral Home or All Saints for details.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Vernon branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) 3100 – 28th Ave. Vernon, BC V1T 1W3.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a celebration of Glenn’s life will be held in the future when larger gatherings are permitted.