Leonard Lofton Mitchum, Jr., known by most as Mitch, passed away on February 7, 2016 at Huntsville Hospital with his family by his side.
Mitch, a Talladega native, received a mechanical engineering degree at Auburn University in 1951. His outstanding career of diversified engineering accomplishments led to his induction into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2003.
His first jobs were at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and the Atomic Energy Commission at Oak Ridge National Laboratories. During the Korean War he entered the Army which eventually led to his being assigned to Redstone Arsenal. After discharge from the Army and a brief return to Oak Ridge, Mitch was attracted to join the Marshall Space Flight Center where he became deeply involved in Explorer satellites, the Nation’s first earth-orbiting satellite. During eight flights, his many innovations touched most aspects of Explorer.
Mitch’s achievements, his love of satellites and the Nation’s move toward a manned landing on the moon and safely returning to earth, led him in 1961 to help start Space Craft, Inc., best known as SCI Systems. He was the founding manager of SCI’s mechanical design team and led the company’s mechanical systems and sub-system activities. He is recognized as a major contributor to SCI’s significant contributions to the Saturn-Apollo program and the company’s later growth and diversifications. By the time he retired in 1996, SCI had become Huntsville’s and Alabama’s largest industrial employer. He retired from SCI as a Corporate Vice President and general manager of the company’s cluster of mechanical program facilities.
In addition to his Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame honors, Mitch received both the Silver and Gold Knight of Management awards from the National Management Association.
Mitch was a registered engineer for 30 years. He made a sizeable endowment to Auburn to fund the Mitchum Presidential Scholarships. He also mad a large endowment to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation to fund enhancements in Huntsville Hospital’s cardiac care equipment and services. Mitch was a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He was a steadfast supporter of Weatherly Heights Baptist Church throughout his thirty-seven year membership.
Mitch was preceded in death by parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Lofton Mitchum, Sr., and a sister, Louise Mitchum McCauley.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ila Smith Mitchum; daughter, Susan Mitchum Cox; grandson, Andrew Mitchum Cox, granddaughter, Anna Michelle Cox; sister, Lurlene Mitchum Mullins of Anniston; sister-in-law, Joyce Phillips of Anniston; and brother-in-law, Charles Smith of Greenville, SC.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon Friday at Weatherly Heights Baptist Church. The funeral service will immediately follow at the church with Dr. David Freeman officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Huntsville Hospital Foundation or Weatherly Heights Baptist Church, Huntsville, AL.
