Mitchell Bulich, 95, a long time grower, packer and shipper of Pajaro Valley apples, passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 13, 2017 after a short illness.
He was born on February 7, 1922, in the Prunedale/Vega District of Watsonville. He attended local schools and graduated from Watsonville High School in 1940. Mitchell served in the Army Air Corps during World War II as an ammunitions operator, stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, and Hamilton Air Field in Marin County, California.
Mitchell was preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Anna; brother, Antone Sr., and sister-in-law, Eva Gurkovich Bulich. He is survived by his nieces, Maryann Bulich Schnitter (David) of San Jose, and Stephanie Bulich of Novato; and nephew, Antone Bulich, Jr. of Granite Bay; great nieces, Stephanie Schnitter of San Jose, and Mary Bulich of Clayton; and great nephew, Antone Bulich III of Santa Rosa.
Mitchell began his seventy-year life’s passion as an apple farmer soon after he was discharged from the Army, starting with the family farm, where he lived for 88 years. In 1951, along with his brother Antone and Antone’s wife, Eva, and Nick Butier, they started Butier and Bulich Brothers in Corralitos. Mitchell was a man of few words and strong convictions who took great pleasure and pride in tending to the health of the land and in cultivating every tree on the Ranch.
Mitchell enjoyed hunting deer and elk in Idaho, Colorado, and Montana and deer throughout California, trout fishing in the Corralitos Creek, and deep sea fishing in Canada. He also took pleasure in an occasional trip to Reno.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate gifts in Mitchell’s memory to the Agricultural History Project and Museum, 2601 East Lake Avenue, Watsonville, CA 95076 or the American Heart Association, 1 Almaden Blvd., #500, San Jose, CA 95113.
As Mitchell requested, services were private. Arrangements were entrusted to Mehl’s Colonial Chapel.
