Harold B Mix

Harold B. Mix, age 86, died Monday May 4th at the country home he loved. He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Esther Van Pelt Mix. Harold was born on May 29, 1922. He was a graduate of Dryden High School, withdrew from attendance at Cornell University to help his father when his mother became extremely ill, and after working for GLF, he took the

opportunity to establish his own trucking company. Now, more than 60 years later, this business continues to evolve and is owned and operated by 2nd and 3rd generations and their families. In, 1951, unknown to 29-year-old Harold , a movie

scout from Seaboard Studios, Inc. of NYC, named Mr. Babbitt, was in Ithaca looking for a lead

for a movie to depict a family living the American dream. Some of the criteria Mr. Babbitt had

for his lead included a man with photogenic quality who had a family with one or two children,

his own business, and a home that would photograph attractively. One day as Harold exited a

diner, Mr. Babbitt, who had been secretly watching him, approached him, and within a couple

of days the film work was underway.

In his script, Mr. Babbitt captured Harold's personality and approach to life as though he had

known Harold all his life. Adjectives such as caring, friendly, neighborly, patient, insightful, kind, dedicated, and ingenious with his forward thinking, described Harold. When the vice president

of an Ithaca bank tried to convince Harold to get a patent for

one of his many inventions, Harold wasn't all that interested. He enjoyed the simple life, and was content with what he had created for himself. To this day, anyone who knew Harold would

describe him the same way. As Mr. Babbitt discovered, Harold would help anyone with

anything, and he never expected anything in return. Over the years he contributed his time freely

to the building of 7 homes, including 2 of his own.

Harold lived life to the fullest. His family life, his neighbors, and his business life were what he

loved. He took great pride in the country setting of his home and spent hundreds of hours

maintaining the property as a habitat for wildlife. Introducing his family to new activities and

new technology was something Harold greatly enjoyed over the years. He took his family on

many trips as he and Esther raised their children.Camping/boating/fishing trips to Canada

were numerous and fun-filled. Often, other relatives and friends would join in on the trips. When

Harold and Esther planned a getaway cruise, before they knew it, 4 other couples

planned to join them! During their retirement years, Harold and his wife enjoyed driving trips to

many parts of the United States, including Alaska and Nova Scotia, visiting friends in many

other states, and then spending winters in their home in Florida.

Harold is survived by his five children and their spouses: Karen (Dr.James)Pawlicki,

Harold D. (Susan) Mix, Carol (Dr. James) Pettee, Sarah Padula ( Mitchell Herzog), and

Scott (Jeannette) Mix. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

In addition, he is survived by 3 siblings and their spouses, James and Henny Mix, Lloyd and

Irene Mix, and William and Eleanor Pease and many extended family members.

Harold will be dearly and deeply missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 on Thursday May 7th at Perkins Funeral Home in

Dryden. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers,please consider making a donation to

any wildlife organization of your choice or Hospicare of Ithaca.