In Memory of Aunt Fay

Big Mama's tribute to Dr. Edith Peterson Mitchell, better known to her family as Aunt Fay

On Jan 21, 2024, an extraordinary woman got her heavenly wings after an over 50-year career dedicated to health and medical care. There will undoubtably be many tributes to her and her career accomplishments as we lay her to rest.

Dr Edith Peterson Mitchell MD, MACP, FCCP, FRCP(London), Physician-Scientist, Health Equity Champion and Brigadier General was truly a trailblazer in the United States Air Force and medical field. She was selected by Ebony Magazine as one of the most influential African Americans in the United States of America. In 2015, she was appointed to serve as the 116^th President of the National Medical Association. She was also the first woman to attain the rank of U.S Air Force Brigadier General by the Missouri Air National Guard.

With all these accomplishments to her name, she never forgot her Tennessee roots. She was a proud graduate of Tennessee State University where she served on their Board of Trustees and was an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She was a healthcare trailblazer who was committed to making the underserved communities her priority. Not only was she committed to healthcare, but she was committed to family. She was a force to be reckoned with in all areas of her life. Without making light of her accolades and accomplishments throughout the world, I wanted to shine a light on Aunt Fay the family woman born and raised in Brownsville, Tennessee during racial segregation.

Edith was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, cousin, aunt and a family historian for the Peterson family. Even though she was my dad’s younger sister, just like in her career she orchestrated many family get togethers and events. When Aunt Fay called, no one could turn her down. She would tell you when and where to be and what hotel you were staying.

My earliest memory of her was when she blew into town while was in 5^th grade and took me shopping. I was a slightly chubby child and remember she bought me some green bell bottom hip hugger pants with a purple and green flowing top that had bears on it that covered the fact that I was wearing hip hugger pants. She showed me how to dress fly but tastefully as a young lady. I loved the outfit so much that I took my 5^th grade school pictures in it.

That was her modus operandi. That was how she rolled. She would shoot into town, handle whatever the situation was then fly out on to her next venture. I always loved seeing her at family events but understood that she was a super busy lady. 

While in college, as I was deciding my career choices and what I wanted to be in life, I decided to reach out to her to spend time with her on my spring break. She and Uncle Del where to host me in their home in Columbia, Missouri.  Her daughters were very little, and I was excited to see my baby cousins. I boarded a bus in Bowling Green, Kentucky and started on my venture. After a long bus ride, I would spend the next few days shadowing her at the college and hospital. Afterward, we would come home to dinner and spend time with Uncle Del and the baby cousins.  After the kids were tucked into bed she would crack open a cold brew and sit up with me and tell me stories about my dad as a child and life growing up on a rural farm in Brownsville Tennessee. With Aunt Fay, I was able to see someone with an work-life balance while having a family. Needless to say, I was exhausted after spending a week following her around!

Aunt Fay and her family around the time that I visited in college.

On another occasion we had a family get-together in Tennessee and Aunt Fay decided to take a trip to the commissary on the military base to get some food for the family.  She took along my cousin Jackie who was retired from the military. As they drove up to the security, she pulled out her identification. The young man at the post glanced at it and waved her on. She then said to him, “No baby, look at that I.D. again” He takes a closer look and immediately stands at attention. My cousin laughed so hard. She couldn’t wait to tell the family how everyone had to put some respect on her name. Sometimes our family would forget who she was out in these streets. Even though Dr. Mitchell was known throughout the world for her cancer research and Air Force duties she was just Aunt Fay to our family. 

Sometimes we need a small reminder of who our aunt was in these streets. Aunt Fay with Regina King (Left). Aunt Fay with Shaquille O'Neal (Right)

We mostly knew that she loved to cook at family get-togethers. Often her and my dad and other aunts would compete for bragging rights at family cookouts. They were all amazing cooks, but everyone had to bow down when my dad would fix ribs on the grill. Our family knew that at every get together someone would pull out the music and we would all get a kick out of Aunt Fay dancing to the song “Shotgun” by JR Walker & the All Stars! I cannot think of a single family cookout where we did not pull out her favorite song and watch Aunt Fay let loose! We knew she was going to dance every time she heard that song.

Our family enjoyed cookouts with Aunt Fay, but that wasn’t the only side of her we knew. Sometimes when a family member fell ill, Dr. Mitchell would be the side of her that we would see. It did not matter where you lived in the country or what your ailment was, if you needed her Aunt Fay was instantly in touch with your doctors and was part of the medical team making decisions on your treatment plan. For me personally, I was living in Jersey City, New Jersey and was having major gastrointestinal issues. I had seen many doctors as my health had been declining. One day I got the call from Dr. Mitchell, who demanded my doctors information and permission for her to look over your medical records. She ended up supervising my treatments, and I was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. She came with her family from Philadelphia where she was a clinical professor of medicine and medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. She had received the Jefferson Achievement Award and was the first Black woman to receive the Philly Life Science Award yet she put everything down to come to Jersey City just to see how I was doing and to know when I would be released from the hospital. I know that this treatment wasn’t anything special or particular to me. She would have moved the Earth for anyone in our family in need. My doctors in Jersey City had to take special care of me with Dr Mitchell supervising the case!

Aunt Fay and her family at our Jersey City apartment

This trailblazing woman would invite the entire family to any and every event where she was being recognized or honored no matter where it was. She was extremely proud of her family and her family was proud to just call her Fay. As I close my tribute to Aunt Fay, I am encouraging other family members to chime in and share their stories of the amazing Dr. Edith Peterson Mitchell. She was an extraordinary doctor, General, professor and aunt all at the same time! We love you Aunt Fay and your presence here on this earth will truly be missed.