Angel,

I am saddened to learn of your loss. Mitch was always so pleasant and I recall during your time here in Ardmore, they sheer happiness you two experienced. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Leslie Larsen (formerly Hicks).

For so long my little brother and I talked about doing some singing together.  We even talked about a song that I had discovered that we could sing for our spouses on our 10th Anniversary celebrations since they were so close together.  Alas, so much of that never happened, so my big vision of a grand joint anniversary celebration with a crowd of friends and us singing to our special loves, didn't happen.  But it was a dream that we at least shared over the phone and text.  I know that was not really your cup of tea either....performing in a situation like that with all the pressure, but you would have been amazing!  On the one occasion when we did get to perform together, my husband grabbed this clip.  It is an emotional moment for me, because it represented us sharing something special, just like the times we flew the simulator together or tried to actually fly together (that's another story).  

You were more than my brother...you were my friend and my hero. You overcame so much more in your life than anyone I know, and you became a role model and friend to so many including me.  From the day I told you that I was gay, you never looked differently at me.  You and Angel took Junior and me into your hearts and you became that doting uncle to our son.  And on the rare occasions that I would see you truly angry, it was always in response to a hateful comment or act.  You never looked down on anyone for who they were, what they looked like, or who they loved.  Instead, you stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them all.  You and Angel carved out a place in this world where few can walk.  You hold a place where we all should aspire to be. 

I love you and I will forever miss you little brother.

Words cannot express how much I will miss you. When his brother, Jeff and I first started dating, Dana was only 7 years old. Most everyone knows him as Mitch, but he will always be Dana to me. Jeff would bring him over to the house on occasion and my mom would always comment on how polite he was because he would always say “Yes ma’am or No ma’am.”

There are many memories that I will hold dear but my favorites were when he would meet us in Ruidoso at my parent’s house right after the Christmas holidays. My father’s (Pops) birthday was New Year’s Eve and Dana’s was the next day.

Pops had a great love of music and loved to hear him play his guitar. I even have a picture of them sitting on the sofa sharing their common love of music. On New Year’s Eve, we would go to the neighbors for a birthday party for pops and Dana. He always seemed genuinely happy to be celebrating with a bunch of old, retired people. And if we were lucky enough to have snow, the night would usually end in a snowball fight.

I love and miss you Mitch! Be happy and rejoice in heaven.

I am Dana's (Mitch's) oldest brother. There's a 12 year gap in our ages. I dont know long how it will take me to come to grips with this loss, if ever. I wanted to share two events that are such clear memories that I will cherish.

First one was when Dana and I were kids. The group KISS was coming to Midland so I got tickets for the 2 of us. I painted our faces - me as Ace and Dana as Gene Simmons. I carried him on my shoulders for a little while but when we got there, it was cancelled. Missed out on a great concert but the memory of the 2 of us sharing the love of good rock music will always stay with me.

The second was when Mitch came to live with us, he had picked up the guitar and wanted to learn. Within weeks Mitch had not only learned to play but was performing Purple Haze better than Hendrix himself. He was a natural and I think that is an understatement. I loved his playing. I watched him a few times over the years playing individually or with bands. His style was loose and off the cuff. He was very creative. I will miss everything about him - from his music to his off the wall humor. There was no way you could leave a get together with Mitch and not have your sides hurting from the laughter. That was Mitch - laughter was his stock-in-trade, so to speak. Love you brother!!

Mitch,

It doesn’t seem possible that I am writing this on your obituary. If I had only known that the last time we would share a laugh in the office was the last time…

Thanks for being such a great coworker, investigator, and above all…friend. There wasn’t a single person in AVP who would help someone any time…without question. You always volunteered, jumped in to help, and always told everyone “don’t worry about it, man!” 

I wish we had gotten to work together longer. I wish we had gotten to go out on more investigations. I guess I just wish I had more time with my friend. 

It is truly our loss, and as we mourn Mitch’s passing from this plain, my heart is heavy. Still, as we feel the wind on our faces, we can know that the same wind brushed against yours and as we walk on this earth, we can know that our footsteps may fall on the same places where yours once fell and may even bend the same small blade of grass. 

Our paths on earth are not erased when we leave. They remain behind, and you will remain in our hearts. Godspeed, Mitch. Rest easy brother. 

I had the opportunity to meet Mitch when he and my son Mikeal became household keepers of our little house. Mitch was Mikeal’s mentor and “the big brother he never had”. The many nights and days of music  from the “Missing VII”  that was created in the side room will be remembered forever. 

.Aviation  talks with my husband Joe could be heard whenever we visited the house. Joe being in aviation himself you could heard the stories come from both Mitch and Joe.   

I felt Mitch was a blessing for our family. 

Fly High Mitch 

Angel, family, and friends…I am so very sorry for your loss.  I only knew Mitch these past two years, but it only took a few minutes for our friendship to take flight. 

I met Mitch in early 2022 when I was a new FAA Event Investigation Manager. He was helping me get setup and teaching me the basics. Towards the end of the first day, Mitch held up a broken bolt that he had been fidgeting with most of the day and asked us what we thought happened. I studied the bold briefly and realized I had no idea, but decided to come up with something if for no other reason than to get a laugh.  I used buzzwords like striations, torque, capacity, and failure to formulate a response. Mitch looked at me, paused a moment, smiled, and said it sounded like a pretty good made up theory. The other person in the class asked what aircraft accident the bolt came from and how it really happened.  Mitch smirked, gave a little laugh, and said, “I just found it over in the corner this morning…it’s probably from one of these chairs or something…I have no idea what happened…seems like it broke!” Then he and I burst into a harmonious laughter. 

The next day Mitch was training me one-on-one. We both arrived to the Command Center a little earlier than scheduled, because in true aviation fashion, early is on time and on time is late. The day prior I noticed an interesting sign in the elevator which read, “No Smoking. Maximum fine up to $25.”  I thought it odd and remember chuckling to myself when I first read it. This day, as Mitch and I rode the elevator to the second floor for class, he looked over at me, motioned at the sign, and said, “hey- you can smoke in this elevator for $25.”  I said I thought the same thing when I read it. We laughed for a good 2-3 minutes. 

We continued to tell that joke for the next nearly two years just to make the other smile or laugh, especially on the challenging days. We shared similar peculiar innocent type of humor and always ended up laughing.

Mitch taught me so much about accident investigation, but more than that he was always a great teammate, leader, and friend.  He always operated with kindness and the utmost integrity. I admired and respected that about him.  

When he accepted the position with AVP-100, we stayed in touch regularly. He continued to share his insight, guidance, and knowledge. He was always supportive and encouraging especially during challenging moments. 

Later that year I accepted a job in the same building at FAA HQ.  Mitch and I continued to bounce thoughts off each other about different aviation events. We’d enjoy a cup of coffee or a bite to eat on days we were both in the office. He shared photos of his furbabies, and we would just chat about life.  We shared passion for safety and both enjoyed a good laugh. 

I text with Mitch this past Tuesday. It was pleasant but brief and inconsequential.  If I had known it would be our last conversation, I would have thanked him for being my mentor and friend, and I would have told him how much he positively impacted my life these past two years. Mitch was one of the rare great ones. I am forever grateful our paths crossed. He is and will continue to be deeply missed. 

We were so sorry to hear about Mitch's passing. He was such a kind and selfless person. His love for Angel was unmatched. His music and his personality made him special. Fly high our friend, we will always keep you in our hearts. 

Clinton and Kathrin

Where to even begin! I have been blessed to know Mitch for many years now. I’ve been blessed to share experiences with him, from music performances to family holidays, cruise vacations, online game sessions, and even him asking me for help when he was working on his Masters degree. It’s really hard to narrow down any one specific memory that stands out to me as they are all equally valuable, special, and timeless.

As some people may have known, one of Mitch’s many joys, outside of aviation and music, was playing on the Xbox with Todd, Junior, Nick, Mikeal (Poppy), Mike, and myself! We started out back in the day playing Star Wars Battlefront, and would move on to GTA Online, and eventually we would get into some golf online. The pure enjoyment, and many hours, of all of us with our headsets on and acting like kids! We would have so much fun together. Over the last couple of years (as life happens) we didn’t get to play as much (as a group) as we used to, but Mitch and I would sometimes play as a twosome. It was a fun escape from reality, if even for just a couple of hours, where laughter and good times were had! The two of us running around town (in GTA) with rocket launchers and turning busy streets into parking lots was always entertaining! Also, his sense of humor, and his ability to always be driving a vehicle in GTA and lose the hood, was untouchable! It wouldn’t be a Boogliano (Mitch’s player name) vehicle if it had the hood still intact after he drove it!

In the end, life will go on and we will all continue to move forward as best we can. I can proudly, and honestly, say that my life has been enriched by knowing Mitch! His playful nature, fierce devotion, and calm personality will continue on in everyone whose life he impacted. I will see you again my friend, but not yet! Fly high Mitch!