Gilbert Lee Mitchell

Gilbert Lee Mitchell was born to Earl Tom Mitchell and Rosie Mitchell (née Dupree) on January 26, 1938 in Washington County, Texas. The young family moved to Houston a few years later where Gilbert went to school. He attended Harper Middle School and Booker T. Washington High School, where he played the saxophone in the school band. After high school, Gilbert entered the military. He was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force, which he joined in October of 1956 and served for three and a half years before being honorably discharged. Gilbert spent most of his time in the Air Force stationed at Keeler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Upon his discharge from the military, Gilbert returned to Houston, where he met and married his first wife Dorothy Jean Mitchell (née Hayes). That union produced two beautiful daughters, Jacquline and Lillie Rose Mitchell. After his first marriage ended, Gilbert then met and married Mary Edwina Mitchell (née Cross), with whom he would spend the rest of his life and share an unbreakable bond. In that loving union of over 50 years, they raised six beautiful children. Gilbert was a taxi driver for Yellow Cab for over 20 years. He knew the city of Houston like the back of his hand and took pride in getting his passengers from one place to the next in the city he so loved. After his retirement from Yellow Cab, Gilbert was not content to just sit at home and do nothing. Always active and looking to be productive, he took a job as delivery driver for The Cookie Bouquet, and later as a van driver for Enterprise Rent-a-Car, where he worked until the day he died on June 30th, 2017. Gilbert was truly a fun-loving and cheerful man. His smile lit up the room, and his laughter was infectious. He loved baseball, spending time with his family, and traveling the world with his wife. He loved to go on cruises and sit on the balcony of his cabin to take in the ocean and the tropical breezes. He especially loved to watch reruns of Sanford and Son and laugh as if he’d never seen the episode before. Gilbert was a devoted servant of Christ and spent many years as a member and deacon at First John Church. He was preceded in death by his parents Earl Tom Mitchell and Rosie Dupree Mitchell Fielder, his daughter Lillie Rose Mitchell, and grandson Dwayne Mitchell. He is survived by his wife Mary Mitchell, his children Jackie (Melvin), William, Jeffrey (Jackie), Cheryl (Darryl), Gregory (Emily), Laryssa (Perry), Cassandra (Eric), his two brothers-in-law, Lee Cross and Sidney Cross, numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives.