Obituary of Grace Mitchell

Maria Grace Mitchell, 64, of Manalapan, NJ, passed away on February 13, 2022 from cancer.

Grace was born on January 17, 1958 to Francisco and Concetta Contrafatto in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  At the age of 12, Grace came to the United States in search of a new life with her parents, settling on Mulberry Street in Little Italy.

After completing her education in Manhattan, Grace went on to work as an IT professional at a bank in New York, where she rose to the position of Assistant Vice President. A coworker brought Grace on a blind double date, where she met her future husband, John.

Grace and John were married in 1984 in Brooklyn. Grace and John went on to have two sons, Michael in 1986 and Marc in 1990. Driven by their dedication to their sons’ education, Grace and John moved from Brooklyn to Manalapan, New Jersey in 1993.

Grace lovingly raised her children and was fiercely dedicated to their education and careers. She attended every single sports and academic event, and continued to support her sons as they progressed through their higher education at Stevens Institute of Technology, Cornell University, and MIT. Her tireless work ethic and passion for helping others has had a profound effect on her sons and their decision to pursue careers in biomedical engineering. After completing his Masters, Marc became a leading gene therapy scientist and product manager at Sartorius AG. Michael became a Professor after completing his PhD, and established his mRNA lipid nanoparticle cancer therapeutics research laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.

Grace was known for her green thumb – always able to cultivate even the most fragile of plants – and was an incredible chef whose cooking was known across town. She loved long café and restaurant adventures while visiting her sons in Baltimore and Philadelphia, movie marathons during the holidays with the family, and milking every last minute at the beach during family vacations in Cape May.

Grace was predeceased by her parents, Francisco and Concetta Contrafatto. She is survived by her husband, John, and two sons, Michael and Marc.

Friends and family are invited to visit on Friday, February 18^th, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Freeman Manalapan Marlboro Funeral Home, 344 Route 9 North, Manalapan.  A funeral liturgy will be held at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, Manalapan on Saturday, February 19^th at 10:00am. To leave a condolence or find directions, visit www.freemanfuneralhomes.com