Terry Mitchell Showalter

Terry Mitchell Showalter, ornery and beloved husband, family, and friend, joined God our Father in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 16, 2026, at University Hospital in Columbia, MO. He is survived by his wife Sarah (Johnson) and his four “girls”--cats Marigold, Molly, Coco, and Tallulah; brother Tony Horton, nephew Brandon Horton, sister “Niki” Shafer, brother Ron Langan, cousin Taylor Sweeting (Katy, Hunter) and countless other cousins. He is preceded in death by his father Lance Corporal Ronald E. Langan, US Marine Corps, “brother” Joe Perri, uncle Terry Sweeting, cousin Leslie Lanier, grandmother Barb Langan, and great grandparents Marshall and Olive Sweeting.

Mitch was born in Illinois on Tuesday, April 6, 1971, to father Lance Corporal Ronald E. Langan, US Marine Corps (deceased). While still a young child, he moved to Arizona where he grew up in the communities of Sierra Vista and Tucson. Mitchell later moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area and made Mesa his home. Diabetes held him from his dream of being a Marine, but he simply charted a different course. A “jack of all trades,” he worked jobs ranging from road crews to plumbing firms until he began his professional career in executive protection for the Perri Foundation, NRA Certified firearm/CCW instructor, and gun shop associate in Arizona (and later Missouri). In the shooting culture he found his place in the world and demonstrated a giftedness in both competitive shooting and instruction. Mitchell also met his best friend and family through Joe Perri (deceased) of the Perri Foundation and the two lived countless adventures and shenanigans together. For medical reasons, he begrudgingly retired by 2012.

While helping family move back to the midwest, Mitchell “bumped into” his future wife Sarah, previously having met her in 1994. By 2004, Mitchell joined Sarah in Champaign, IL and they moved to Moberly, MO in 2006. They were wed in her parents’ (Dr. and Mrs. Ronald and Susan Johnson) home in Pittsfield, IL, on September 5, 2009, and celebrated with laughter and love, food, family, friends, music, dancing, spirits, and cigars. They left that evening under a light evening sprinkle hand in hand, and he left this world in much the same way.

Throughout his life, he went by many names-Terry in Arizona, Mitch or Mitchell in the midwest, Mr. Show by students he mentored, Maddog and Showie by the gun community, not to mention transplant recipient, warrior, teacher, son, cousin, nephew, uncle, brother, and friend. Mitchell was definitely a talker-spending hours on the phone with his uncle and namesake Terry Sweeting (deceased), “brother” Joe Perri (deceased), cousin Barbara Lanier, cousin Taylor Sweeting, and uncle-in-law Bob Warden. He described himself as “a slave to the laugh,” and often said, “Laugh every day or cry every day, the choice is yours.” Mitch was a master storyteller, his jokes being an extension of this skill, and an extremely ornery disposition ran through his veins–his wife Sarah naming half of her white hair after her students and half after him. The only force in the world bigger than his orneryness was his heart. He was so very loved and his loss will be felt by so many.

We invite you to join us to honor him in both prayer and celebration:

Saturday, May 30, 2026

The Rosary will be recited at St. Pius X Church (pending parish confirmation) Deacon Chris Sago presiding, 2:00 pm, 209 S Williams St, Moberly, MO, 65270. *ALL are welcome, Catholic and non Catholic alike

Wake and Celebration of Life at 3:00 p.m., 1561 Co Rd 1510, Moberly, MO 65270. (One of his favorite places, affectionately known as Hillshire)

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to memorialize Mitch with contributions to any of the following charities:

Marine Corp Reserve Toys for Tots

Safe Passage

Wounded Warrior Project

City of Moberly Animal Shelter