Melvin Mitchell passed away on December 13, 2019. Services will be conducted in Batesville, Mississippi, at the Magnolia Cemetery on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at 1:00 PM.
Melvin was born in Lambert, Mississippi, on July 23, 1938. He grew up in Batesville, Mississippi, where he played a variety of sports, including football, and was voted Most Handsome. He attended the University of Mississippi, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1960 and then obtained his Juris Doctor in 1963. He married Sara Jane Westmoreland while in law school. After law school, he obtained his patent law license and worked several years in Pensacola, Florida, for Monsanto.
In the mid-1960s, he and his wife moved to Pascagoula, Mississippi, which they made their lifetime home. After moving to Pascagoula, he soon became the City Attorney/Prosecutor and served in that position for nearly forty years. He also served as interim City Manager of Pascagoula numerous times. He was recognized for his talents as an administrative lawyer. Melvin received the highest legal rating available from Martindale-Hubbell as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jackson County Bar Association.
Melvin was a member of First Baptist Church in Pascagoula. He was devoted to his wife Sara Jane and his children and grandchildren. Melvin is survived by his son Meade (and wife Holly) Mitchell and grandchildren William and Mary Mitchell, his son Steven (and wife Nuria) Mitchell and grandchildren Ruth and Rebecca Mitchell, his brother David (and wife Becky) Mitchell, and his sister Sue (and husband Ted) Tims. He was proceeded in death by his wife of over 50 years, Sara Jane Mitchell, his father Howard Mitchell, and his mother Claudine Lane Mitchell. Melvin will be missed by his family and friends.
Memorials may be made to The Cure IBM Research Fund, Washington University, Campus Box 1082, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130 or to The University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655.