Obituary of Adam Clay Mitchell

Obituary Adam Clay Mitchell was born August 9, 1973 in Silver City, New Mexico and passed away in a car accident in Wyoming on January 21 st , 2023. Adam’s sister, Shannon Kyllo, said he grew up mostly feral on six acres of rural land surrounded by ranches. This love for the outdoors led him to work for the U.S. Forest Service in the Gila as a young man. Throughout childhood, fences were something to climb, stock tanks were for swimming, windmills were for scaling. She recalls, “We thought we could fly if we put feathers on coat hangers and fixed them like wings. He convinced me this would work. We gathered feathers for months and built this set of wings. Adam fastened them to me and had me jump off the roof into a soft pile of manure and hay. It did not work and I didn’t get hurt and he didn’t try it.” Like many young siblings (they were 13 months apart), they fought, but Adam was always there for her through games of “Tracker,” cactus extractions, and even saving her from choking in a playground slide accident. These stories show what type of man Adam would grow up to be. His wife, Barb, never tired of hearing them. Adam’s caring nature was evident through his lifelong “love for his critters.” Growing up, he rescued any and everything that moved and never kept any of the animals caged as he felt that was cruel. One pet was a raven named Rosita. After school he would hold his arm out and wait for her and she’d fly to him and sit on his shoulder; she loved him. While earning a degree in wildlife biology at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, Adam lived in a fraternity house. His favorite part about the frat house was the cook. He loved food and was always appreciative of good food. In fact, one of his favorite meals was Josie’s (his ex-mother in law) chile con queso and green chile chicken enchiladas. These specialties often showed up for joint family celebrations. Numerous stories illustrate Adam’s character. He always took care of everyone he knew, even without being asked. If you called him, he’d answer “Ahoyhoy” his customary phone greeting, leaving no doubt who was on the line. He would drop everything to help family or friends in need. From bringing a harvested elk out of the field for a friend with a broken leg, to multiple rescues of broken down cars. He always came to the rescue, making it his emergency too. He’d call and make sure everyone was okay. Adam’s son, Cody said, “He was the Dad of all dads.” In fact, he felt being a dad was his calling and he was patient, loving, and kind with his boys, Ty, Cody, Luke, and Zachary. There were no “steps,” he loved being with all of them. It didn’t matter what they were doing, shooting, fishing, even house projects, he just wanted to spend time with them. A patient teacher, Adam taught the boys many life skills and came alongside to help them learn. He loved teaching both kids and adults how to do things, pleased when he could help someone else learn a new skill. One of his many areas of expertise was woodcutting. He was a highly skilled Class C Sawyer in woodcutting and helped others learn how to cut a tree down safely. If something was broken, Adam would fix it. If he didn’t know how to handle a repair, “I’ll google it,” was his response and he’d say, “I’m not gonna learn any younger.” He could do anything he put his mind to and managed to take care of anything that needed fixing. If anyone got him started talking on a subject he liked, whether it was shooting, wall tents, or camp stoves, Adam would relish diving into all the details on these areas of expertise, sometimes for hours. If he didn’t know about a subject he would figure it out. If it was something his boys were interested in he would learn everything there was to know about the subject so he could support them in their interests. He was committed to loving them well as both a dad and their friend. He was more than a dad and loved being with the kids. Some of Adam’s favorite memories were each time he took one of the boys hunting for their first deer. He’d say, “My adrenaline was running, I was shaking, and more excited than they were” and he’d photo blast everyone on his phone list with the pictures. He was most excited just to see them enjoy this experience and returned home elated and thankful to have been able to share this with them. One of his favorite hunts was the elk hunt with Cody in the fall of 2023 on the west slope of the Rockies. This was the first elk hunt Adam and Cody had taken without Ty, who was killed in a car accident a couple of months before. The trip became a beautiful, bonding tribute to their missing son and brother and a way to feel close to him. Adam also thoroughly enjoyed family vacations. One stand-out trip was a family visit to Hawaii after his son Ty’s high school graduation. They snorkeled, fished, danced, hiked, and laughed till they cried. Adam could not stop talking about that trip. His family was his highest priority and he loved being with them and just being at home although he couldn’t stay inside for any length of time. He loved to laugh and was the “big kid” of the family. Insanely ticklish, Adam, a big, mountain of a man nicknamed “Grizzly Adams” by his sister, would giggle like the Pillsbury Doughboy, making everyone around him laugh too. He never called anyone by their real name if he was close to them. His sister, Shannon, became “Googerhead,” Barb was “My Barbie,” and sons Ty and Cody became “Monker” and “Meow.” When referring to the blended family the boys became “The Zuke” for Zack and Luke and “The Tyco” for Ty and Cody. You knew you were loved if he gave you a nickname. Adam had perfected what Cody calls the “Dad Stance,” legs akimbo, hips arched forward, arms crossed over his chest if things were friendly, fists planted on his hips if the situation was heated. Adam was committed to always finding common ground with his ex-wife Diana and his wife Barb in raising their boys. He made co-parenting easy and was determined to do what was best for his boys. They found ways to be on the same page with the boys, no matter what. He valued time with his boys above all else and would get a certain special look on his face whenever he saw them. His strong love for them was evident from miles away. He went to all the kids’ games and sporting events, supporting them in their interests. Adam lived his life with the joy of a child and brought that same outlook to his relationships with family and friends. Barb shared a favorite memory. She had worked a night shift and woke up to a horrible grinding sound and Adam laughing hysterically. Looking out the window, she saw Adam and boys outside on the circle driveway. The kids, who were too young to drive, were taking turns driving the Saab car, dragging a plastic baby pool tied to the bumper over the shallow snow. The other kids were piled on blankets in the pool yelling and laughing as the makeshift sled whipped around the drive. Adam was having as much fun as they were. Adam is preceded in death by his son Ty, who passed away in a car accident just five months before. Adam and Diana leaned on each other during that time of great loss and grief. This double loss has been heartbreaking for the family. The family takes some comfort knowing Adam and Ty are not alone but are with each other. Adam loved life and wanted his family to enjoy every moment. Memorial services will be Friday, February 3, 2023 at Windsong Estate. Everyone is invited to all the services to share stories about Adam and honor his life. Services Visitation Friday February 3, 2023 10:30 AM to 11:45 PM Windsong Estate (Saddler Boulevard, Colorado) Memorial Service Friday February 3, 2023 12:00 PM Windsong Estate (Saddler Boulevard, Colorado) Graveside Service Friday February 3, 2023 2:00 PM Grandview Cemetery 1900 West Mountain Avenue Fort Collins, CO 80521 Reception Friday February 3, 2023 3:30 PM Windsong Estate (Saddler Boulevard, Colorado)