Mitchell Murrell

Mitchell Bruce Murrell, 64 passed away after a long illness on February 9, 2024.

Services will be held Saturday, April 20, 2024, 1:00pm at Elmwood Funeral Home Chapel, 5750 Hwy 277 South, Abilene, Texas.

Mitch was born in Bakersfield, California he is followed in death by his father Norman, he leaves behind his mother Elizabeth (Libby), wife Pat, sister Mary, son Morgan (Nikki), granddaughters Junie Lee and Georgie, niece Robin and nephew Daniel, and many lifelong friends.

When Mitch was 4 years old, his parents moved the 4 of them to Saudi Arabia where his father went to work for Aramco oil. This was a unique growing up experience for him. Over the summer's the family would travel the world, he experienced visiting Europe, Asia, and Africa.

When Mitch was ready to go to high school his father took a transfer to Houston, Texas where he attended Aldine High School. After high school Mitch attended Hardin Simmons University. Where he was a member of the World Famous Cowboy Band. Mitch made lifelong friends in college, he loved his days at Hardin Simmons.

After college Mitch worked in a few different industries, including the Hotel/Hospitality Business. In his early years in the hospitality business he worked it upscale hotels such as the Mansion at Turtle Creek. Even relocating to Philadelphia to work in a hotel there. In 2000 his career paths followed his dream, and he became a firefighter/paramedic. He secured a job with the Flower Mound Fire Department, where he was rookie of the year in 2001 at the age of 40. Quite a feat. He loved being a firefighter, and will be missed by many brothers still in the fire service.

In 2008 Mitch moved back to California, he quickly secured a job in Yosemite National Park and move up through the hotel operations. He was the rooms manager at the historical Ahwahnee Hotel. It was during his time working in Yosemite that he met his wife Pat in 2010, they were married in May 2015. The couple moved to Monterey California in 2013, where Mitch again worked in the hospitality business, at another historical hotel at Asilomar. They returned to the Fresno California area in 2016.

During Covid 19 it was unemployment for him, but by the end of 2020 he secured a job with a task force company that places consultants in the hospitality business. He traveled across United States doing this work, . He enjoyed this work immensely. He literally crisscrossed the United States from Telluride Colorado, Seattle Washington, Cleveland Ohio, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Birmingham Alabama. In April 2023 he returned to Texas. And at the time of his death was living in Fort Worth.

He was very proud of his days as a first responder. He also very much enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, helping the young people learn the business and succeed. He was a history buff, he shared his knowledge to anyone that would listen. He was an avid reader mostly books about history, autobiographies, etc. Most evenings in their home you could find the History Channel or National Geographic on the TV, after Jeopardy was over. Mitch loved music, he had a very eclectic taste, a very large collection of vinyl. But with his favorite being Texas folk music. He also loved to dance, after he taught his wife how to two-step, there would be dancing in the kitchen.

He is missed by his family, many lifelong friends, classmates and coworkers literally across the world.

The family suggests gifts in Mitch's memory be made to the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboy Band Foundation online at Support HSU Music (hsutx.edu) or by mail to HSU Advancement, Box 16100, Abilene, TX 79698. To make a gift by phone, call Mendy at 325.670.1489.