Dec. 07--Former Chicago Park District CEO and Superintendent Tim Mitchell, who was instrumental in bringing Lollapalooza to Chicago, was found dead in his North Side home Wednesday.
Mr. Mitchell, 49, died in his sleep of natural causes after months of health problems, including hospitalization for high blood pressure, said Ken Meyer, a friend and former colleague.
He was named head of the park district in 2004 by Mayor Richard M. Daley and served in that role until he resigned in 2011.
"Tim was a good man with a great heart, and I know he cared about Chicago," Daley said in a statement. "He was a dedicated public servant for decades, and his accomplishments were many. He was such a good friend, colleague and mentor to those around him that saying he will be missed is sorely inadequate."
During one Labor Day weekend, Meyer said the two had lunch before Mr. Mitchell went on a tour of every beach house under his watch.
"He thanked every lifeguard for their service for the summer, from (Hollywood) to the last piece of the South Side," Meyer said.
Mr. Mitchell grew up in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side, the son of onetime Brother Rice High School football coach Tom Mitchell. His father died in January 2013 and his mother, Marianne Mitchell, died in July, according to Meyer.
Mr. Mitchell is survived by a twin brother, Tom Mitchell Jr.
"He always put his job first," his brother said. "He'll be sorely missed by a lot of people, and he had a lot of friends across the city of Chicago."
Since leaving the park district, Mr. Mitchell worked for a Chicago law firm.
Park board member Avis LaVelle, who met Mr. Mitchell on the Daley campaign in 1989, remembered his efforts to bring Lollapalooza to the city. "It has become such a jewel," she said.
Mr. Mitchell held numerous posts throughout the Daley administration.
A 1989 graduate of Loyola University, he joined the city that same year as managing deputy commissioner of the Department of Human Services. He went on to work as commissioner of the Department of General Services and as a liaison between City Hall and its sister agencies. In 1994, he received the city's Kathy Osterman Award for public service.
"He was energetic and devoted to getting things done. He understood how invested the people of Chicago are in their parks in every community," LaVelle said. "It's such a loss. This is a guy who was a pure Chicagoan."
Grant Park Conservancy President Bob O'Neill worked with Mr. Mitchell for years on numerous park projects, including the Grant Park dog park and Northerly Island restoration.
"He knew how to work with different groups. He was really good about bringing people together," O'Neill said.
Services have yet to be set.
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