Virginia L. Mitchell, 68, Black Hawk, SD, died instantly Tuesday, August 1, 2006, from a car accident on I-90 near Piedmont, SD. She was our mother, mentor, champion and friend.

Born on November 15, 1937, in Hammond, Indiana to Alberta (Miller) and Roy L. Cooper, who was her greatest supporter and dear father. Virginia spent most of her youth in northern Illinois with her brother David Cooper (DeKalb, IL) and sister Barbara Hengl (Ft. Collins, CO). She was a very good student and excelled in track, especially jumping sports. Virginia was known as a pianistic virtuoso and for her sight-reading abilities, sharing her talents with family, friends and colleagues who were often gathered around the piano singing, laughing and making up silly lyrics. As music major at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL, she often reflected on her most enjoyable memories, playing with the college dance band. She married our father, Jack Mitchell of Los Angeles, California on April Fools' Day, 1958. He was a good man and father with quite a sense of dry humor and wit. That led Virginia to make a home in Southern California where she completed her music degree at the University of California, Long Beach. Known for her gift of sight-reading and accompaniment, she was recognized as one of the finest accompanist on staff at any university in the country because of her technical fluency and sense of musical nuance. She received the Orpheus Award from the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity for her "significant and lasting contribution to the cause of music in America."

While raising four children, eventually on her own, siblings Cindy, Joey, Susan and Linda Mitchell were blessed with a mother that both struggled to make ends meet and supported each one of our unique lives, while growing more into her own. Whether it was running a group of our friends to the beach to surf, taking us to recitals, playing ball with us outside or tirelessly listening to our problems and feeding back the truth we needed to hear, Virginia had boundless energy for all of it. She wished for each of us to develop our own unique gifts and carry them forward and live our lives fully. She met her love, James Kennedy, fourteen years ago at one of her musical performances. They spent their time together in mutual support of each other's being, eventually moving to Black Hawk, SD, to live near the sacred Black Hills. While we all miss her physical being dearly, her spirit is now released to fly freely like the eagle soars over the land, as she always envisioned.

There will be no funeral services as her body was cremated and scattered to the wind. A memorial has been established in her name at Northern Illinois University, Music Department. Donations can be sent to: Northern Illinois University Foundation, In Memory of Virginia Cooper Mitchell, Atten: John Salvani, Altgeld Hall #132, DeKalb, IL 60115-2882.