Roy Mitchell
April 18, 1931 — January 14, 2023
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Interment
Riverside Crematorium
Roy Mitchell
MITCHELL, Roy Peter
April 8, 1931 - January 14, 2023
Suddenly yet peacefully at the Lakeside Long Term Care Centre January 14th 2023, Roy Mitchell passed away of natural causes at the age of 91.
Roy was born in Toronto on April 18, 1931, the sixth and youngest child, of Mary Stephan Luta and Wasyl Peter Mechanuk, who immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine.
Roy had an irrepressible zest for life and sense of adventure. In his youth he and his brother Frank excelled at hockey and played for the Marlies and Durham and Oshawa teams. He travelled throughout post-war Europe on a motorbike honing his skill as a photographer. Back in Toronto he had a long and successful career behind the camera-on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Fort Erie Race Track, on the stage taking celebrity shots for Toronto theatre impresario Gino Empry, by the lake in charge of Press Photography at the Canadian National Exhibition with his business partner Harold Crellin, with whom he co-owned Alexander Studios. A jack of all trades he renovated numerous homes in Toronto, and in retirement moved to Dundalk, then Tweed, before settling in Cobourg.
He was a member of Bluffers Park Yacht Club and sailed solo across Lake Ontario. He was an avid and skilled bridge player, learned to play folk music on the banjo, had an antique store in Unionville, and to the end of his life enjoyed “garage sailing” as much for the banter as the barter. Roy had a great gift of putting anyone at ease and a natural sense of humour that made any gathering he was at that much more fun.
Roy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Grace Violet Mitchell (nee White); his brothers Bill, Frank, Eddy, and Wally; and his sister Jennifer. Roy is survived by his son Colan (Ann McBride); stepsons Charles Rose (Alison Reeve) and Stephen Rose (Helen); grandson Aethne; step-grandchildren Evan and Leigh; great-step-grandchildren Lucinda, James and Benjamin.
The family would like to extend special thanks to Linda Kalmuk for the compassionate geriatric nursing care she provided to Roy and Grace from September 2020, and to Toronto PSW Sharon Flatley for her professional advice to the family, and care of Roy at Lakeside. As well the family gives heartfelt thanks to all the staff at The Tower Of Port Hope Retirement Residence, and Lakeside Long Term Care Centre for their kindness and care of Roy.
Roy’s handsome presence, flashing blue/grey eyes and innate joie de vivre will be missed by all who knew him, and his legacy of photography lives on at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto where he donated his archives of NHL and sports photographs.
At Roy’s request no visitation or service will be held.
As expressions of sympathy, a donation to your favourite charity would be greatly appreciated.
April 8, 1931 - January 14, 2023
Suddenly yet peacefully at the Lakeside Long Term Care Centre January 14th 2023, Roy Mitchell passed away of natural causes at the age of 91.
Roy was born in Toronto on April 18, 1931, the sixth and youngest child, of Mary Stephan Luta and Wasyl Peter Mechanuk, who immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine.
Roy had an irrepressible zest for life and sense of adventure. In his youth he and his brother Frank excelled at hockey and played for the Marlies and Durham and Oshawa teams. He travelled throughout post-war Europe on a motorbike honing his skill as a photographer. Back in Toronto he had a long and successful career behind the camera-on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs, at the Fort Erie Race Track, on the stage taking celebrity shots for Toronto theatre impresario Gino Empry, by the lake in charge of Press Photography at the Canadian National Exhibition with his business partner Harold Crellin, with whom he co-owned Alexander Studios. A jack of all trades he renovated numerous homes in Toronto, and in retirement moved to Dundalk, then Tweed, before settling in Cobourg.
He was a member of Bluffers Park Yacht Club and sailed solo across Lake Ontario. He was an avid and skilled bridge player, learned to play folk music on the banjo, had an antique store in Unionville, and to the end of his life enjoyed “garage sailing” as much for the banter as the barter. Roy had a great gift of putting anyone at ease and a natural sense of humour that made any gathering he was at that much more fun.
Roy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 62 years, Grace Violet Mitchell (nee White); his brothers Bill, Frank, Eddy, and Wally; and his sister Jennifer. Roy is survived by his son Colan (Ann McBride); stepsons Charles Rose (Alison Reeve) and Stephen Rose (Helen); grandson Aethne; step-grandchildren Evan and Leigh; great-step-grandchildren Lucinda, James and Benjamin.
The family would like to extend special thanks to Linda Kalmuk for the compassionate geriatric nursing care she provided to Roy and Grace from September 2020, and to Toronto PSW Sharon Flatley for her professional advice to the family, and care of Roy at Lakeside. As well the family gives heartfelt thanks to all the staff at The Tower Of Port Hope Retirement Residence, and Lakeside Long Term Care Centre for their kindness and care of Roy.
Roy’s handsome presence, flashing blue/grey eyes and innate joie de vivre will be missed by all who knew him, and his legacy of photography lives on at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto where he donated his archives of NHL and sports photographs.
At Roy’s request no visitation or service will be held.
As expressions of sympathy, a donation to your favourite charity would be greatly appreciated.
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