Jeffrey Leland Mitchell

Jeff Mitchell, age 77, left this life behind on July 7, 2026 in Waco, Texas.

Jeff was born on September 24, 1948 in Springfield, Ohio, the son of the late Orville Leland and Patricia June (Bowles) Leland.

Jeff was an alum of his beloved Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Boys Ranch, Texas. He resided there from 1958 to 1965. He then moved to Riverside, California where he graduated from Romana High School in 1967. He then joined the Air Force in 1968 and served his country in Vietnam. After his discharge in 1976, he went to work at Piccadilly Cafeteria as a baker. He also proudly served with the Texas State Guard. Jeff married Virginia Earlene Cazey on June 12, 1977. After leaving Piccadilly Cafeteria in 1994, Jeff worked at various jobs including that of Security Officer before his retirement in 2008.

He joined the Elk Volunteer Fire Department in June of 2003 where he was honored as the department’s 2007 George Krupa Firefighter of the Year. Even after stepping back as an active member of the department, he could be counted on to monitor call activity and keep personnel posted on incident status via text messages. He and Earlene were named Lifetime Members of the Elk VFD in December 2025.

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife Earlene; two brothers Marc Mitchell (Anita) and Lee Mitchell, a sister Leslie Johnson and nieces and nephews. He is also survived by many close friends.

Jeff was an avid ham radio operator and lived a life that was highlighted by serving others in need.

He will be interred at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. A Celebration of Jeff’s Life will be held at a later date.

Jeff requested that memorial donations to be made in lieu of flowers to either Elk VFD or Cal Farley's Boys Ranch at:

Elk Volunteer Fire Department, 9297 Elk Rd, Axtell, Tx 76624

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, P.O. Box 1890, Amarillo, Tx 79174-0001