Robert E Mitzel

The Reverend Dr. Robert E. Mitzel, a retired United Methodist minister in the Baltimore Washington Conference, passed away on 18 April 2020. Bob was born on 25 July 1922 on Keswick Road in Baltimore, the 5th of 6 children. He met Doris Justice on this same street. She later became his wife for 60 years. Bob and Doris attended Mt. Vernon Methodist Church in Hampden where they taught Sunday School and were active in other church activities. After high school graduation from Baltimore City College, Bob enlisted in the Navy in 1942, following the example of his uncle, Lieutenant Levere Mitzel. He went on to serve in the South Pacific aboard a subchaser. In 1943 Bob was recommended for officer training and returned to the United States to attend Notre Dame University and then Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. After graduating with high honors, Bob attended seminary at Drew University in New Jersey. During seminary, he married Doris. After graduating from Drew, Bob was ordained in the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Church. He served for a short time as Assistant Pastor at Lovely Lane Methodist Church in Baltimore City. He then served as Pastor in the Chesapeake Charge, comprised of 4 small churches in southern Anne Arundel County, and the Maryland Line Charge, comprised of 5 small churches in northern Baltimore County. Bob pastored Emory United Methodist Church in Ellicott City and Bells United Methodist Church near Andrews Air Force Base. While serving at Bells, Bob earned a Doctor of Divinity degree from Drew Theological School. Bob went on to serve at Cheverly United Methodist Church in Cheverly and Trinity United Methodist Church in Prince Frederick. At his death he was 97 and the oldest pastor in the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. Throughout the years Bob had a heart for service. He helped establish a credit union for Methodist ministers. Bob served as the chaplain for volunteer fire departments in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard counties. He was President of the Community Action Council in Howard County. He opened a community swimming pool for low-income families in Ellicott City. Bob and Doris often opened their home to visiting foreign missionaries. Bob and Doris became missionaries themselves, transporting farm animals to Bolivia, constructing an agricultural storage facility in Ghana, serving the Appalachian poor in Kentucky, helping build a church in Alaska, and building Habitat for Humanity houses with Jimmy Carter in DC and in Canada. In 2003 Bob and Doris moved into the Charlestown Retirement Community where Bob was characteristically active. He served as President of the Resident Council where he assisted in the creation of a vision statement for the future of Charlestown. Bob happily contributed his time and efforts to the Benevolent Care Fund, Garden Club, Nature Trail Group, and other activities sponsored by his large group of retired clergy friends. The fellowship and Theological Table Talk of retired clergy at Charlestown helped Bob to continue his religious studies. The great love and kindness of Bob’s friends sustained him after the loss of his wife in 2006. Bob is survived by his 3 children, Donna Welles (Massachusetts), Glenn Mitzel (Maryland), and Patricia Farrar (Ohio). He is also survived by 8 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers Bob wished that donations be made to enable children to attend camp at the West River United Methodist Center, which he helped found in 1951. Make checks payable to “BWC Treasurer” and mail to West River United Methodist Center, P.O. Box 429, Churchton, MD 20733, with a note “Doris and Bob Mitzel Endowed Campership Fund”. We welcome you to join us for a memorial service and reception on May 16, 2020, at 11:00. Since we cannot get together physically, we will meet electronically using (1) Zoom video teleconferencing on a computer or smartphone, or (2) a telephone. In both cases you will need the following. Meeting ID: 295 553 3930 Password: 940379 To join by Zoom video teleconferencing, go to the website below. If the Zoom application is not already installed on your device, you will be guided through a free installation. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2955533930?pwd=dEpTa2hmL1pXUW1iMFo2UkFwMnlkZz09 To join by telephone, dial a number according to your location: 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) 646 558 8656 US (New York) 346 248 7799 US (Houston) 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)