David Jonathan Mitchell

David Jonathan Mitchell, 50, passed away suddenly on August 22, 2023, in Denver, Colorado. Dave was a respected environmental lawyer who dedicated his career to protecting Colorado's wilderness areas. Born in Boulder, he developed a deep connection to the Rocky Mountains through childhood hiking trips with his father a passion that would guide his professional and personal life. After graduating from Stanford Law School, Dave returned to Colorado to work with the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund. His landmark cases protected thousands of acres from development and established important precedents for water rights in the American West. Colleagues described him as a fierce advocate in court and a gentle, thoughtful friend outside it. Dave is survived by his wife Sarah, their twin daughters Emma and Olivia, and his parents Richard and Patricia. An avid mountaineer, he summited all 58 of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks. His family finds comfort knowing his final resting place overlooks his favorite valley a place he called 'where the earth touches heaven.' His legacy lives on in the preserved wilderness he fought to protect and in his daughters, who have inherited his love for the mountains.