Jan. 19, 1935 –

Jan. 9, 2012

Memorial services for William Emmett “Billy” Mitchell III, 76, of Jonesboro, Ga., will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, at McDonough Presbyterian Church with Rev. Dudley Rose, Rev. Rachael Knoll and Rev. Dr. Olin W. McBride officiating. The family will receive friends Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Funeral Home.

He was born in Ocala, Fla., to the late Daniel Nelson and Allene Gainous Mitchell, and died Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. Billy was a graduate of Cairo High School, where he served as class president his junior and senior years. He was an army veteran of the Korean conflict, and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1959 and the Banking School of the South at LSU. Mr. Mitchell retired from SunTrust bank in December 1997, where he served as Group Vice President. Prior to his position as the group vice president, he served as Vice Chairman and President of Trust Company Bank. Before moving to Jonesboro and joining SunTrust, formerly Trust Company Bank, he lived in Waycross, Ga., and had 14 years of banking experience.

Mr. Mitchell has always been very active in the communities in which he worked and lived. He has been active in many civic and business affairs, including Kiwanis, United Way, YMCA, Muscular Dystrophy, the American Heart Association and the Salvation Army. He was an active member of McDonough Presbyterian Church, where he served on the finance committee. Mr. Mitchell was a Mason with the Ocean Lodge in Brunswick, Ga., and a former member of the Clayton County Rotary Club and the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce. He also formerly served as the director of the March of Dimes.

Mr. Mitchell is survived by his wife, Rossie Mitchell of Jonesboro; children, Amy (Aaron) Mitchell-Smith of Baton Rouge, La., William E. (Anne) Mitchell IV of Albany, Ga., and Eleanor (John) Gunn of Roswell, Ga.; grandchildren, Rosalie Smith, Baze Mitchell, Brooks Anne Mitchell, Dottie Ruth Mitchell, Annie Gunn, Sarah Hayden Gunn and Catherine Gunn.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donation to the McDonough Presbyterian Church building fund, P.O. Box 652, McDonough, GA 30253.

Cannon Cleveland Funerals is in charge of the arrangements.