Burl William Mitchell, 97

Burl William Mitchell, 97, was born June 21, 1928, in Boaz, Ala., to William and Lorena (Young) Mitchell. He passed away Dec. 29, 2025, while in the care of Kootenai Health with family by his side.

At 8 years old, Burl tragically lost his mother and eventually left home to live with his Uncle Arlen. He often recounted tales of his childhood on his uncle’s farm, picking cotton barefoot during the summer months.

In September 1945, at just 17 and a bit of truth-stretching to meet age limits, Burl joined the Navy, eventually training to be an electrician, and making Warrant Officer in July of 1965. He spent his career on naval ships serving on the Destroyer USS Floyd B. Parks during the Korean War, and the survey ship USS Maury, where his ship was tasked with mapping the sea floor around the bays and coastline of Vietnam, previously also serving on a sub tender and picket ship on the East Coast.

After retiring from the Navy, Burl and Dorothy roamed the country in search of a place to put down roots. Their son, Robert, joined their escapades after high school, traveling alongside them for six months. Eventually, they decided to make Coeur d’Alene their home. The urge to travel never left them and inspired them to make multiple summer trips to Alaska to visit their son, Robert, sightsee, hunt and fish.

An avid outdoorsman, Burl regularly partook in hunting and fishing with his sons in tow. He lived a full and active life, instilling a great love of nature and the outdoors in his sons, who also imparted that same love in their children. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who will be forever missed but always remembered.

Burl is survived by sons Larry and Robert (Tammie) Mitchell of Coeur d’Alene; granddaughters Caitlin (Ben) Allmand of Portland, Ore., Megan (Sam) Freeman of Ontario, Ore., and Shannon Mitchell of Coeur d’Alene; grandson Dustin of Boise, Idaho; and four great-grandchildren. Burl was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy; his mother, Lorena; his father, William; his uncle, Arlen; his brother, Griffin; and his daughter-in-law, Marcia.

Burial with military honors will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at Riverview Cemetery, 1065 N. Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene, where he will be laid to rest alongside his devoted wife and daughter-in-law.

Your stories and memories will live forever in our hearts.

Love, Larry, Robert, Caitlin, Megan, Shannon and Dustin.

Please visit Burl’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.