Dwight (Pete) Phillip Mitchell

Dwight “Pete” Mitchell

March 10, 1936 – Dec. 12, 2023

Dwight “Pete” Mitchell, 87, of Benton Harbor, passed away on Dec. 12, 2023, at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital surrounded by his family.

Pete was the third of eight children born to Don and Katherine Mitchell on March 10, 1936, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He was married to Margo Mitchell, his beloved wife of over 40 years, and was the proud father of seven children.

Pete was always a hard worker holding several high-level managerial and governmental positions in California and Benton Harbor. After graduating from Benton Harbor High School in 1954, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. He then worked at Bosch for 10 years and six years with the city of Benton Harbor. While working for the city, he attended Lake Michigan College and then Western Michigan University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration in 1976.

After graduating from college, he moved to California where he worked for almost 20 years as the Public Works Director for Seaside and then Division Manager for the East Bay Municipal Water Utility District in Oakland, which was the eighth-largest water utility in the country. He returned to Benton Harbor in 1995, serving five years as the Deputy City Manager and eight years as the City Manager before retiring in 2008.

A prolific civic servant, a city park was named after him in 2007 called “Dwight P. Mitchell City Park.” Other notable accomplishments include an Economic and City Development Award in 2007, a Public Service Award from Southwest Michigan’s Regional Airport, a Chairman’s Award from the California-Nevada Works Association, and received state recognition from then-Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2008.

In his spare time, Pete enjoyed fishing, hosting cookouts and gatherings for family and friends, and watching black-and-white films. He was baptized and became a member of Second Baptist Church in 2011.

He is survived by his wife Margo Mitchell; seven children: Elliott Mitchell, Karen “Kay Kay” Mitchell, Deano Mitchell, Tammicia Reid, Anton (Susan) Muhammad, Obie Thompson, and Alexandria (Rodney) Lynch; two brothers: Duane (Perona) Mitchell and Don (Geraldine) Mitchell; and two sisters: Diane (Joseph) DeFrance and Kathy Bowman, and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents Don and Katherine Mitchell, first wife Catherine Mitchell, sister Janice Baker, and brothers Gary Mitchell and Stephen Mitchell.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Robbins Brothers Funeral Home.