John Michael Mitchell

John Michael Mitchell was born July 17, 1960, in Seneca, Kansas to Harold and JoAnn (Gudenkauf) Mitchell. John grew up in Seneca and attended Saints Peter and Paul grade and middle schools and graduated from Nemaha Valley High School with the class of 1978. Following high school, John joined the Navy where he spent three years on active duty as a Construction Electrician (CE) in the Navy Seabees. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy, he returned to Seneca to work with his father and two brothers, Jim and Joe, in the family electrical contracting business, Mitchell Electric.

With some encouragement from his high school classmates that were attending the University of Kansas, John decided to move from Seneca and enroll at KU. After four years of study, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Upon graduation from KU, John accepted a position as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This job required relocations from Lawrence, Kansas to Montgomery, Alabama; Chicago, IL and Omaha Nebraska. After 23 years on the job, John retired.

In retirement, John accepted a job at Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) as a Senior Nuclear Design Engineer at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant. After 12 years of service, John retired…again.

John was married to Pamela (nee Lantz) Mitchell for 34 years and together raised their two children, Erin and Matthew. Following an amicable divorce in 2020, they remained friends. John was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren, with their art and mementos displayed prominently in his home. He was an incredible storyteller, avid reader, and daily runner. In 2024, he met Jamie Hoeft and the two shared many joyful moments together. He had traveled the world but his favorite place was to be at home, reading the newspaper and drinking a Pepsi.

John was a licensed Professional Engineer; licensed Electrical Contractor; Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Information Systems Security Management Professional (CISSP-ISSMP); and Amateur Extra ham radio operator (NØFBI).

John passed unexpectedly from a heart attack on February 11th, 2026. He is preceded in death by his father, Harold. John is survived by his daughter Erin, her husband Chase, and their children Elle and Logan; son Matthew and his partner Bianca; mother JoAnn Mitchell; brothers, Jim and Joe (Debbie); sisters Janice (James) Palmer and Mary (Todd) Ewers; ex-wife Pamela Mitchell, and girlfriend Jamie Hoeft.

VISITATION: Friday, 2/27 from 5-7pm at Roeder Mortuary in Gretna.

SERVICE: Saturday, 2/28 at 10am at Roeder Mortuary in Gretna.