Mitchell, Gerard
MITCHELL, Gerard Joseph "Jerry" "Mario"
Gerard Joseph Mitchell "Jerry", "Mario", 80, of Jacksonville, FL, formerly of Atlanta, passed away in Jacksonville, FL, Sept. 10, 2020, after a short illness. Jerry grew up in White Plains, NY, and attended Ionia Prep, and graduated from Fordham University, and at both he played on the golf and football teams.
He started his career with American Can, posted in Houston. Working with Coke Foods he won his first Addy designing a can for Folger Coffee. Jerry was soon transferred to Atlanta to work with Coke and there he met wonderful friends and with his low golf handicap was invited to join a new club forming, The Atlanta Country Club, becoming one of the youngest members. Winning his club's championship, runner-ups, and a popular Guest in Member-Guests all over the South, he worked to keep a low handicap. He played golf all over the US and Scotland but loved more than any place he ever played, The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, where he was a member. Thanks to his beloved friend Ken Stowe, they played everywhere a golfer wants to play. He also served for 10 years as Operations Manager for the Atlanta Classic PGA Golf Tournament when it was played at the Atlanta Country Club.
When Jerry saw the changing can industry, he used his contacts and joined Case-Hoyt, applying more creative talents, where in 1978 he landed the largest contract the company had to date, and earned another Addy for a Nissan auto brochure, writing it entirely and directing all the photography himself. Signing auto product STP as his customer, he secured Johnny Cash and Richard Petty for promotions. Richard helped celebrate Jerry's 40th birthday with a ride in his Nascar No.43 car around the backroads of NC at top speed, putting a big smile on Jerry's face and planting the seed to yet another dream,
When he did not agree with the local Case management, Jerry took up beloved mentor, Bill Merritt's challenge that he was born to be an "entrepreneur" and bought a share of one of Bill's businesses. Jerry eventually owned all of what became Atlanta Film Inc. (AFI) packaging. He put all of his talents into this 24- hour business as salesman/manager/ manufacturer. He participated with his industry's Flexible Packaging Association, and served as its Chair and great statesman around the world.
With both cans and film manufacturing, he loved the machinery and the industrial working and through good friend consulting engineer Larry Schwartz, they acquired tickets from McLaurin for their shared interest, Formula 1 sports car races, traveling the world to races, going inside the pits, talking to drivers and with engineers, the real geniuses of the race cars. He found one of his business customers shared his car racing interest and soon Jerry found himself signed up to get his own driver's license and on the way to racing in the Historic Sportscar Races. He started a breathtaking adventure with wonderful men, learning to drive a car whose rear end often passed the front. What a ride! Such stories and making such great friends for life, racing in those HSR races. Jerry became "Mario" and appreciated the drivers, the engineers and all those involved with this sport like no other he could have imagined. When pain necessitated hip replacement, the results made him feel like he was not connecting to the car correctly so "Mario" decided safety came first. He let go of that great love as he had had to let go of golf, too.
With lots of hard work through all the years, Jerry took AFI, the business he bought from Bill with gross revenues of $675K/year to $17+ million and merged it with a competitor. After remaining as a consultant for two years, he retired for 16 months, shocked that daily golf was boring. Back to consulting and then a special introduction by a mutual friend changed everything. In 2004 Jerry moved to Jacksonville Fl. to marry Janice Young who had a home and well-known interior design business there. Jerry/Mario had made friends there with racing and he decided to reinvent himself. Having looked at buying businesses he thought he could improve the business of buying/selling/merging businesses. His friends in town introduced him to Heritage Capital, which he joined, creating WestBay Business Advisors within it to work with smaller businesses. There he met wonderful friends but after a few years, Jerry decided to take WestBay out, as his business only. Jerry was doing what he had always been doing, helping people but this time, the focus was about small businesses.
Jerry loved Jacksonville, his historic neighborhood, the people, and his life with "Baby" Janice. Jerry, always the gentleman, was also always kind and continued to help anyone he could, every day. Jerry's friendship was cherished for his intellect, loyalty, wit and humor and outlook on life, and he was simply loved by many. Jerry said: "Anyone can be dull. But I try not to be." And he never was. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents Peter and Susan Cahill Mitchell, and Sister Patricia Kermani. He leaves wife Janice Roberts Young, Brother Peter Mitchell of Boston, 5 nieces, many cousins in Texas, GA, NY, his feline boys BJ, Spike and BarryBear, and those he loved as his family Tiger, Ken and Florence, Pete and Dot, Bob and Diane, Robert M., Brother J., Bucks, Smooth, George, Don R., Dan D., Sean, and Larry S., Jeff, Michael S., Jim W.
A celebration will be in the future when gatherings can be held. If you would like to donate in remembrance of Jerry please send to his neighborhood RAP Preservation, 2623 Herschel, Jacksonville FL, 32204.
