Dr. Lewellyn S. Mix, age 94, of Virginia Beach, entered the presence of his Lord and Savior on January 21, 2016. He was born on Dec 22, 1921 on a dairy farm near Heuvelton, New York, the son of the late Gordon and Frances Mix, a dairy farmer and a school teacher.
After graduating valedictorian from Heuvelton HS, he entered Cornell University, NYS College of Agriculture. His education was interrupted by service in the U.S. Army in 1943 after which graduated from Cornell 2nd in his class in 1946 and began graduate studies at the University of Minnesota.
He married Constance Avery of Boston, MA (whom he met at Cornell) on July 14, 1949 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Together they raised four children in the Central New York communities of Cayuga and Cazenovia.
Dr. Mix completed a PhD in Animal Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in 1952 and then accepted a position as Director of Research for dairy and livestock nutrition for the Beacon Milling Company, Cayuga, NY. He served there for fifteen years, rising to the position of Vice President of Research and Development for Beacon Division of Textron from 1961-1966. Some of his notable contributions there were: the development of the Beacon dairy/livestock research farm and authoring two editions of Profitable Dairy Management-used by high school vocational agriculture programs throughout the Northeast.
He then accepted a position as Director of Dairy, Livestock, and Poultry Management with Agway, Inc., Syracuse, NY. He was promoted through many positions over his 20 year career with Agway serving as Director of Farm Management from 1973 to 1986. During his tenure there he made significant contributions of regional or national impact to cooperative projects between universities, dairy industry, government, and farmers. Among these were:
- Project Leader, Dairy Chore Reduction Program-1973-78, involving collaboration between agri-engineers, economists, work-simplification specialists, and 13 universities, and 80 organizations (dairy co-ops, banks, farm supply companies, feed manufacturers, farm mag publishers, RPA et al) from 13 states and 3 Canadian provinces to carry out 46 research projects resulting in two ground-breaking publications for dairy farmers.
- Helped to organize Agri-Mark Total Milk Marketing System-1979-1980
- Dairy Shrine, Board of Directors and President -1980-83
- President, Northeast Dairy Conference Board-1980-82
- Milk price forecasting for NE US-quarterly 1971-86
- Dairy Farm Budgeting Guides-
- Regular contributor to Hoard's Dairyman and Agway Cooperator magazines.
He was recognized by his alma mater and national dairy publications and organizations for his many outstanding contributions:
- Cornell Animal Science Department-Award of Merit for Research Funding-1979.
- NYS Grange-Agricultural Leadership Award.
- NYS Dairy Herd Improvement Coop-Advisory Committee.
- American Dairy Science Association, Distinguished Service Award-1992.
- NY Holstein Association-Outstanding Contribution-for milk price forecasting.
- National Dairy Shrine-Pioneer Award for lifetime contribution-1996.
- Outstanding Alumni Award-Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences-1994.
In receiving his many honors, Dr. Mix never hesitated to share his three most rewarding choices in life: his choice of vocation, his decision to ask Connie Avery to become his wife, and his decision to receive Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. With his wife, he derived his greatest satisfaction in serving others and sharing his faith professionally and through service ministries like his church, International Students, and City Rescue Mission and through many friendships.
In retirement, Dr. Mix continued his service to the dairy industry internationally as a volunteer though VOCA (Volunteers Oversees Cooperative Assistance) and IESC (International Executive Service Corps). With his wife, Connie he traveled and served in Turkey-1989, Thailand-1989, Hungary-1991, and Romania-1993, helping local cooperatives to improve their dairy/livestock productivity.
Preceding him in death were his parents and brother, Maurice Mix (and his wife, Alice). Surviving Dr. Mix are his wife of 67 years, Connie, his sister, Eloise Unbekant (Donald) of Sarasota, FL, and his four children: Linda Southerland (James) of Virginia Beach, VA, Dr. William Mix (Lucienne) of N.E. Erie, PA, Larry Mix (Jane) of Sycamore, IL and Lucinda Melone (Timothy) of Chesapeake, VA. He has 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Calling hours will take place at Harbourway, Atlantic Shores, Dam Neck Road, Virginia Beach at 2:00 PM, on Saturday, January 30 with a 3:00 PM memorial celebration service and luncheon to follow. A second service will take place at on Kempsville Presbyterian Church, 805 Kempsville Rd., Virgina Beach at 3:00 PM Sunday January 31. He will be interred at the Suffolk, VA military cemetery.
01.26.2016
