For 10 years after his diagnosis of stage 4 tonsil cancer, Mitch Mitchell — whose given name was Greg — lived with intention alongside his wife, Kate. “After everything Mitch went through, we were really savoring life,” she says. 

In the fall of 2022, feeling lighter, they took what Kate calls their “epic” trip to Italy — biking, olive harvesting, hiking in the Dolomites. Mitch was thriving. 

But just days after returning, Mitch’s back began to ache. They assumed it was from travel or exertion. “We had no idea,” Kate says. “Within weeks, we learned it was stage 4 prostate cancer that had already spread to his spine.” 

Mitch chose hormone therapy and radiation to treat the tumors but chose not to undergo chemotherapy again. Eventually, the hormone therapy became too difficult to tolerate. By then, the cancer had spread to his brain, and he made the decision to stop treatment. 

From that point on, he and Kate focused on quality of life, supported first by palliative care and later by in-home hospice. When they reached a point in November 2024 when more support was needed, they turned to McClure Miller Respite House. 

“Coming to Respite House was the moment I could stop being a caregiver and just be his wife again,” Kate says. “I literally fell to the floor when we arrived. I was that overwhelmed — and that relieved.” 

They spent six days there. Mitch was still mobile, still able to receive visitors and connect with loved ones.

Kate and family were with him the night he died. The staff lined the hallway. “They played Taps and our wedding song,” Kate says. “It was beautiful.” 

“This place let us step into the final part of his journey with grace,” she adds. “It was peaceful. He wasn’t in pain. He was ready, and we were held.”