Mitchell J. "Mitch" Stephens

Mitchell J. "Mitch" Stephens, age 61, of Dover, died Friday, December 26, 2014, in his home.

Born December 7, 1953, Dover's Union Hospital, he was a son of James (wife, Patti) Stephens of Bolivar and the late Ellen (Sewell) Stephens Johnson. Mitch graduated from Dover High School, and went on to work for the City of Dover for thirty-three-and-a-half years, retiring as a stationary steam operating engineer. He also had a lifelong interest in comic books and comic book art and owned Grackleflint Comics, Dover.

Mitch was a member of Dover's First Moravian Church. He loved to read, enjoyed drawing and listening to the music of the sixties and seventies.

In addition to his father and step-mother, he is survived by his wife of nearly forty-two years, Cheryl A. (Graef) Stephens, whom he married on Valentine's Day, 1973; his daughters, Stacy (companion, Shawn Boughner) of Dover, and Crystal (husband, Gavin) Stephens Gould of Bexley; his grandchildren, Parker Benjamin Boughner and Stephanie Posey Gould; his sister, Melissa (husband, John) Beebe of Canton; his brothers, Michael (wife, Carol) Stephens of New Philadelphia, Rick (wife, Jaclyn) Erickson of Bolivar, and Matthew (wife, Susan) Stephens of Dover; his nieces, Delaney and Addey Erickson; and his nephews, Wesley Beebe, and Chase, Austin and Cole Erickson.

Besides his mother, Mitch was preceded in death by his grandparents, Adaline and Herman Stephens and Eunice and Joseph Sewell.

Family and friends are invited to call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory in Dover, on Monday, December 29, 4 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, December 30, at 11 a.m., in the funeral home, with Pastor John B. Wallace officiating. Family and friends may also call an hour prior to the funeral. Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a luncheon in the social hall of the First Moravian Church. To sign an online guestbook and share a fond memory of Mitch, please visit the obituaries link on the Toland-Herzig website.

The family suggests that, instead of flowers, contributions in Mitch's memory be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 6155 Rockside Rd., Suite 202, Independence, Ohio 44131.