Joanne Mitchell, 70, of Holliston, MA, died August 15, 2016. Born in Providence, she studied German and premed at Trinity College in Washington, DC, and earned her Master of Education in Child Studies at Tufts. In 1978, she decided to pursue her dream of a career in medicine; she completed her MD at age 41, and then her pediatrics residency at UMass Medical Center and a fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Mitchell’s career focused largely on the care of children and young adults with developmental and other disabilities. She was on staff at Boston Children’s for 20 years, receiving their Community Pediatrician Award in 2006. She taught and oversaw research for more than 15 years at Harvard, and also served at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton throughout her career.
Dr. Mitchell is survived by her husband, Jon; two sons; and three brothers. Donations in her memory may be made to United Cerebral Palsy of MetroBoston, 71 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472, www.ucpboston.org.
