Cynthia Woods Mitchell

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: cynthia woods mitchell, cynthia woods mitchell pavilion, george mitchell, the woodlands

Cynthia Woods Mitchell, the namesake of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and wife of The Woodlands founder, George Mitchell, passed away this weekend at the age of 87. Cynthia Mitchell had a wide range of interests, supported many causes and was passionate about the environment. She served on the board of the World Wildlife Fun and was a benefactor of the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera.

Raised raised by a single mother in New York City, Cynthia and her twin sister moved to Houston in 1939. Interestingly, Cynthia and George met on a train which was traveling to College Station from Houston. They married on Halloween and together raised ten children.

Those who knew Cynthia describe her as being "totally original and hilariously funny."

To honor Cynthia Woods Mitchell, the Houston Symphony is scheduled to play a special concert on April 29 at the Pavilion bearing her name.

When I first started working at The Woodlands Resort almost 10 years ago, my desk was in view of our main drive. I remember watching Mr. Mitchell pull his car up and park in the drive every weekday morning. He would get out slowly, walk around the car and tenderly help his wife from the car. They would slowly make their way to The Woodlands Dining Room for breakfast. An hour or two later, I would see him tenderly help his wife into the car and away they would go. He came every single morning. At one point, I heard that Cynthia was ill and unable to make it out of bed. He still came, but he was in and out much quicker. You could see the love for each other in their faces.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Mitchell family as they mourn the loss of this wonderful woman.