Michele Mitchell

MITCHELL, Michele

Michele Murphy Mitchell, 80, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, in Atlanta, on September 22, 2025. A lifelong Atlantan, a graduate of St. Pius X High School, and a very proud honors graduate of the University of Georgia, Michele was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to many.

Michele was born on December 16, 1944, at Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho, where her father, Bill Murphy, a B-17 aircraft commander in the US Army Air Force, was stationed. After the end of WWII, her father, Bill, and her mother, Tina, moved back to Atlanta, and Michele attended St. Thomas More grade school in her earliest years and then Christ the King School through the 8th grade before graduating from St. Pius X. She then attended Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, for two years before transferring to the University of Georgia, where she could more fully focus on her love for her cherished Bulldogs and their Silver Britches. Many stories are remembered when Michele would get so anxious when watching Georgia football that she would often go outside and watch the games through a window in the hope that would help the Dawgs carry the day.

The proud first grandchild of a first-generation Italian American, Michele made the pilgrimage to the home country and the village of Montemarano in the Province of Avellino with her grandmother, Marguerite DeLisio Capossela. Michele was the only one in her generation who met the Italian Patriarch of la famiglia, Michael Capossela, who passed away in 1947, but she passed on the stories of Michael to the future generations. From all reports, she was smitten with Michael, and he was hopelessly smitten with baby Michele, his first grandchild.

After graduating with Honors from Georgia, Michele pursued and obtained her Masters in Teaching (M.Ed.) from Emory University. Michele was an educator, and she loved children. She was a powerful force in the classroom, and while she attended private or parochial schools growing up, she was drawn to the public school early education classroom, where she felt she could maximize her impact on young minds. She taught First through Third grades at Grant Park Elementary and E. Rivers Elementary School for many years.

Michele met the love of her life, Charles Stair "Charlie" Mitchell, during these years, and they were married at Christ the King Cathedral on June 1, 1968. They remained happily and blissfully married for nearly 60 years. Charlie's love for and dedication to Michele was self-evident and never more visible than these last few years during her illness. Michele and Charlie relished in hosting family and friends, and they never missed an opportunity to celebrate their loved ones' milestones and accomplishments. Regardless of the scenario, all could count on Michele's logistical expertise and attention to detail. Fueled by their boundless curiosity and sense of adventure, Michele and Charlie shared a passion for traveling the world with their cherished friends and family.

Some of Michele's other sources of joy and pride included The Atlanta Junior League, Mimosa Garden Club, DeAffodil Study Club and Madhatters. Besides teaching, Michele's career also included wonderful years at Presenting Atlanta and Rugs by Robinson. She considered those beloved groups of people her extended family.

Moreover, Michele dedicated her life to her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. She could always be found cheering on her daughter, Nancy's Tophat, Westminster, or Washington and Lee soccer teams and her son Bill's Buckhead Baseball and Westminster football and track teams. In her later years, that same devotion was evident in her unfailing support of the grandchildren's endeavors - from athletics, to plays, to art shows, to schoolwork, and school events. Any place she felt she could nurture the lives of those she loved most is where you would find her. She knew her soccer, football, and relay races and derived great joy from attending these games and meets, which she rarely, if ever, missed. No matter the outcome, each could count on her warm embrace and hearing her tell them, "I love you more than anything," later shortened to, "LYMTA." While not as treasured as her family, Michele also cherished a lifetime of cheering on her beloved Atlanta Braves.

Michele was preceded in death by her parents, William Wrigley Murphy and Tina Capossela Murphy; and her brother, W. Michael Murphy. She is survived by her husband, Charlie Mitchell; her brother, Joel (Judy) Murphy; and her children, Nancy Mitchell Hatcher (Tommy) and William Stair Mitchell (Nell). Her grandchildren, Louise Michele Hatcher, Virginia Stair Hatcher, Henry Stair Mitchell, and Lucy Custis Mitchell, will miss her, too.

A Memorial Mass will be held at Christ the King Cathedral at 10 AM, on Friday, October 3, 2025, 2699 Peachtree Road NE, followed by a reception for all to gather on site in Kenny Hall. The family asks that any donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org.