Jeffrey Bruce Mitchell, 61, passed away on May 24 at Halifax Health - Hospice in Orange City. An avid fisherman, the fish in the St. John's River no longer have a reason to fear, because Jeff is no longer here! Jeff was born on June 4, 1953, in Morristown, New Jersey, and raised in DeLand. He was a member of the DeLand High Class of '71, and earned his AA from Daytona Beach Community College in 1975. Jeff retired from Winn-Dixie after 25 years as a meat manager in the DeLand stores, and then spent 11 years with the Department of Transportation as a Lead Road Inspector. He retired from DOT in 2010 after being diagnosed with small bowel cancer. He valiantly fought this rare cancer for 4½ years, showing his loved ones how to live with adversity. Jeff enjoyed being outside, and his hobbies included surfing, scuba diving, fishing, gardening, and carpentry. Jeff was "the rock" for his large family, and will be sorely missed by those who love him. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Vicki Mitchell; his daughter, Sharla Mitchell Mercado (Michael); his son, Jeffrey Jay Mitchell (Tracie); his parents, Patsy Mitchell and Jay and Judy Mitchell; his grandchildren, Michael, Sophia, Dorian, and Hannah; and his faithful puppies, Rocket and Zipper. He is also survived by his siblings Kathy Henderson (Sonny), Jim Mitchell (Sandy), Patricia Mitchell, Janice Senninger (Tom), David Mitchell (Julie), and many other family members. A celebration of Jeff's life will be held at 3:00 PM on June 6, 2015, at Christ United Fellowship, 1520 East Voorhis Avenue, DeLand. Please wear your favorite (clean) fishing shirt! Memorial donations may be made to Christ United Fellowship (1520 E. Voorhis Ave., DeLand, FL 32724) or Halifax Health - Hospice (3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL, 32129). Thank you to the many doctors, nurses, specialists, and others who believed in Jeff and helped him fight cancer over the past 4½ years.