Morris Darlington Mixson

August 23, 1926 - August 15, 2020

Morris Darlington Mixson, age 93, born August 23, 1926, of Gainesville went to be with the Lord Saturday, August 15th, 2020. He died from natural causes. Morris was born in Flemington Florida, son of Wilbur Darlington Mixson and Rosalie Anderson. Morris served in the Navy during World War II and was in the south Pacific at the end of the war. Upon return from the war, he got a job through the Veterans program in the Chemistry Department at the University of Florida where he worked for forty-one years until he retired in 1989. Morris met his wife Barbara at Flemington Baptist church where her father, Fred Junior, was the minister and who married them in 1950. Morris loved to travel and for summer vacations the family would travel to the beach, go camping or go to the mountains in North Carolina. After the kids were all grown and out of the house, Morris and his wife Barbara had a series of RVs in which they traveled though out the US cumulating in three-month adventure from Florida to Alaska and back which they talked about for many years. Growing up on a farm, Morris had a passion for gardening which was reflected in his prolific gardens over the years. Morris also loved fishing and taught his children to fish on a lake near the home he grew up in with one of his most exciting fishing stories was about catching a 12-pound bass. Morris was a long-time fan of the Florida Gators, having season tickets for over forty years going to games up to his last year. He lived in Gainesville since 1950 and was a member of Westside Baptist church since 1965. He is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Barbara and brothers Adrian Mixson and Arnold Mixson and sister Myrtice Mixson. He is survived by his daughters Brenda (Tom) Stallworth and Beth (Mark) Woodruff of Reddick, FL; sons Larry Mixson and David Mixson of Gainesville, sisters-in-law Sue (Jim) Mixson and Diane (Gary) Junior; brother-in-law Cork (Connie) Junior; grandchildren, Anne Mixson, Kristopher Stallworth, Jeremy Stallworth, Andrew Stallworth, Zach Woodruff, Coral Woodruff, Katie Woodruff, Laurel Schulert; great grandchildren, Lannie Stallworth, Abbie Stallworth, Clementine Clark, Ellie Stallworth, Emmett Stallworth, Morris Clark and many loving nieces and nephews. Due to COVID-19 concerns, there will be a graveside memorial for close family at Shiloh United Methodist Cemetery, on Thursday. A Celebration of Life memorial will be held sometime next year when virus concerns lessen.