John M. Mitchell, 75, of Cataula, GA passed Monday, August 24, 2026 at St. Francis Hospital.

Memorial services will be held 5:00 PM EST Sunday, August 30, 2026 at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 4980 Hancock Road, Midland, GA. Friends and family are invited to gather for visitation on Sunday, August 30, from 3:30 - 4:45 PM EST at the church. Committal services with military honors will be rendered 10:00AM EST, Monday, August 31, 2026 at Ft. Mitchell National Cemetery, 553 AL-165, Ft. Mitchell, AL 36856.

Born to H. Petrie and Mary Belle Mitchell on March 31, 1951, in Richmond, Virginia, John was the eldest of six children. The early years of his childhood were spent in the Republic of Korea, where his parents served as Christian missionaries.

Upon graduation from Seoul Foreign School in 1968, John attended university in the United States, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Auburn University in 1972. It was while a student at Auburn that he met Margery S. Hoopes and began a lifelong love story. In 1973, he was married to Margie and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry in the United States Army.

In the course of more than 27 years serving in the Army, the Mitchells enjoyed assignments to a number of different locations in the United States, as well as a year-long assignment to South Korea. Highlights of John’s military service were two separate assignments to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia during which the unit deployed into Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada 1983) and Operation Just Cause (Panama 1990). John retired from active duty in 2001 at the rank of Colonel, having served as Garrison Commander at Fort Benning, Georgia.

John worked for 18 years as an officer of Columbus Bank and Trust Company in Columbus, Georgia, in a variety of roles. He was active in military affairs, both in the community and in banking and served in leadership positions in the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and in a national trade organization, Association of Military Banks of America. He was committed to volunteer work for his church, first as a deacon and chair of the Wynnbrook Christian School while a member of Wynnbrook Baptist Church. Later, at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, John served as a ruling elder, on the Missions Ministry, and for various committees of the Presbyterian Church in America at the local and national levels. John also dedicated many hours to recording audio books for the visually impaired. His most treasured callings were: evangelical Christian, loving husband and father, and American soldier.

John is survived by his wife of 53 years, Margery, daughters Jennifer Edwards (Brian), Katherine Jerome (Gregg), and six grandchildren, John Jerome, Maddie Jerome, Paige Edwards, Grace Jerome, Luke Edwards, and Micah Jerome. He was preceded in death by his brother Matthew Mitchell, and leaves behind his devoted siblings: Thomas Mitchell, Missy Michener, William Mitchell, and Petrie Mitchell, Jr.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Midland, GA, or Mission to the World (P.O. Box 744165, Atlanta, GA 30374).

Soli Deo Gloria!