Mitchell Jon Driller, 68

In loving memory of Mitchell Jon Driller, who was 68 years old when he crossed over April 8, 2023, with the loving presence and energy of his family surrounding him.

Mitchell, best known as Mitch, was born and spent the first eight years of his life in New York, first in the Bronx and then in Patchogue, Long Island. His mother, Bernice, and step-father Max moved the young family to California in 1963 to follow employment. The family ended up in Redondo Beach, Calif., just blocks away from the ocean for the remainder of his childhood. Mitch found a calling in the Boy Scouts at age 14, and although he was still that rowdy teenage boy — spent his teen years developing a sense of service to the community. In the Boy Scouts, he discovered his lifelong passion for the outdoors, wilderness survival, preservation, backpacking and camping. This all led to him being awarded the very high honor of Eagle Scout at age 17, something very few achieve.

Following graduation from high school, Mitch enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at VA 127, Lemoore, Calif., in 1973. He was an airplane mechanic and worked on the TA-4F Skyhawks. Mitch liked to joke that he joined the Navy to see the world and ended up in Fresno, Calif. However, the upside was that this is where he met and married his wife, Leiloni. After leaving the Navy, he and his wife moved to Napa, Calif., and they began a family, bringing sons Max and Mike into the world.

During his years in California, Mitch had varied careers including an appliance repair manager for Montgomery Ward and manager of his own store in Ukiah, Calif. He then went on to get his real estate license, including having his own company called Silver Eagle Mortgage in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. He also got his licensure as a stockbroker and dabbled in the stock market with great success.

Mitch enjoyed a close relationship with his family, which was everything to him. He was fiercely protective of his grandmother, Faye, mother Bernice, his sister, Lisa, and brother Rick. His siblings had always looked up to him as their rock as a big brother. He supported his mother and stepfather to create a metaphysical shop in Sacramento called "Unusual and Unique," where he gained a deep and spiritual passion for the metaphysical world. He studied and used metaphysics in his interactions with people when they were in pain or emotionally distressed. He wanted the best for everyone around him and metaphysics was a tool he used. However, he was no saint. He also gained a reputation as a jokester, and "the biggest fun-loving asshole in the universe …" says his long-term close friend and confidant, Mary Jo White. All agree that he could be crass, and sometimes struggled with finding "the boundaries." Laughter was his go to, and he loved to make everyone around him laugh — but sometimes, he could be wildly inappropriate — which his family and friends were not shy about pointing out to him.

Mitch's desire for the outdoors and wilderness brought him to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to settle down with his family, where he loved to take his boys camping, to the snow and exploring the surrounding mountains and lakes. But, at the age of 40, with his sales career in full swing, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He battled this disease with everything he had, holistically and medically. His spirit remained largely optimistic and fiercely independent to a fault. Life was still full of opportunities for him, even though he had many bumps in the road. Both in California and in Idaho he developed a wide community of friends and admirers, as he fought with the disease ravaging his body.

It didn't stop him from giving back. He sponsored and ran a camp for disabled children. He was a Boy Scout leader, and he counseled other disabled people, trying to lift their spirits (with his charm of course), in addition to using his metaphysical skills. In California, he joined the mentor program and met Gustavo, who was 8 years old, and who he subsequently maintained a lifelong connection with. He was a kind and giving man always ready to help others, never wanting to dwell on his own misfortune. He was a pillar of support and love to his children, Max and Mike, and guided them through some of their own life challenges. He adored his young grandchildren, Ryker and Eliana, born to his son Mike and daughter-in-law Rachel. Ryker and Eliana added to his reason for living those extra five years that defied all reason given his level of disability. He was a father figure to many, including his daughter-in-law, Rachel.

Mitch is also survived in life by his sons, Mike (Rachael), Max (Laci), his sister, Lisa, and her wife, Joanie, and their children, Tara, Niko and Austen. By his brother, Rick, and his family, children Rachel, Charlene, Seth and Chuck, and great-nieces and nephews Caleb, Lucas, Brooke and Alaina. He is also survived by many close friends and caregivers who he meant the world to. Life would have been much more difficult without the support of the Veterans Administration, which provided extensive support for his care, with very caring providers. Mitch will be very much missed on this plane and will never be forgotten. He is released from his wheelchair, to soar like the eagles, which he so admired. If you look up, you just might see him.