Michele Louise Mitchell

Michele Louise Mitchell, daughter of the late Elmer “Isaac” William Yancy and Virginia Theresa (Buckner) Franklin, was born on July, 20, 1955, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was the only child born to this union.

She attended catholic school in elementary, graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in the class of 1973 and continued her education at Ivy Tech Community College.

She married the late Gregory Beray Hale on July 2, 1972. To this union, one daughter, DeShawn Hale and one son, Gregory Hale II, was born. She took her time with love and married the late Alfred Lee Mitchell on June 17, 2000, and gained a stepson, Lawrence Mitchell.

Michele started her work life humbly and advanced to great heights in the commercial retail space working at Simon Property Group for years. She left Simon after being courted by Urban Retail Properties taking a job in Chicago, IL. She went on to start a commercial flooring company H&MS (Hale and Mitchell), LLC where she acquired several prominent projects in the state of Indiana. She was employed by Ren, as a Senior Business Analyst until the day of her passing. There was nothing Michele thought she couldn’t do or learn.

Anyone who knew Michele, saw her authentic self. Giving whatever she had to give and then some, dealing with people honestly, she didn’t have airs about her, she knew who she was and loved who she was as a person, and she was confident and caring in her special way. She would try anything with the mindset how hard can it be. She loved her family, she loved to cook (and she was GOOD at it), she enjoyed making jewelry, she loved working in her yard, she enjoyed reading and was a self-professed party planner organizer leaving no stone unturned. She offered her help because she had something to give. If you spent anytime around Michele, you were liable to hear her say “Keep it Moving” or “You can miss me with that”.

She rekindled her relationship with the Lord and joined Loving Missionary Baptist Church eager to serve. In Michele fashion, she was the Church clerk, avid in Women’s ministry and culinary ministry, involved in Church outreach, loved Bible study and Sunday school – you could always count on her for a thought-provoking question and even a humorous response.

Michele maintained her character no matter what stage in life and never stopped living until she departed this side of life on March, 15, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Alfred Mitchell. As well as her father, Elmer Yancy and mother, Virginia Buckner and stepfather Adolph Buckner, Sr. (Pop).

Michele leaves to cherish her memory, a daughter, DeShawn Hale; a son, Gregory Hale II (Tia); a stepson, Lawrence Mitchell Sr. (Elizabeth); her nine grandchildren: Kyara Mitchell, Christian Hale-Adkins, Gregory Hale III, Kaitlin Mitchell, Shelby Hale, Lawrence Mitchell Jr., Dalen Hale, DayLee Hale, and Rayleigh Hale; two brothers: Adolph Buckner Jr. (Carla), Kevin Buckner (Mersheillia); three sisters: Kimeron Stewart, Adriann Jackson and Leslie Mundy (Chris); a host of cousins, family, friends, nieces and nephews.