Mitchell Adolph Warnike

August 7, 1942-February 7, 2026

Mitchell Warnike didn’t just live his 83 years; he worked them. Born in Detroit on August 7, 1942, to Max and Lucille Warnike, Mitch passed away on February 7, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of craftsmanship and a family that learned the value of a hard day's work from his example.

Mitch was a man of restless talent and self-taught mastery. A self-made entrepreneur, he never saw an opportunity that he didn’t take. He was born with a gift to be able to figure out how to make anything work. To sum up his life experiences and all he has done and created would be impossible. He opened multiple businesses with little to no prior knowledge of that field, and somehow just knew how to turn it into a success. He opened retail stores, purchased his own heavy equipment, and personally excavated a 100-slip marina. He bought yacht molds and built boats. Then purchased semi-trucks to personally transport those boats to buyers. He built buildings and houses. He would have a conversation with someone who needed something done, and no matter what it was, he could do it. And if he hired someone to do a job and he thought he could do it better, he would fire them, and in fact do a better job himself. His longest lasting accomplishment was building a retail flooring store and marble and granite business with his second son, Corey, who worked beside him every day for 30 years.

He was a man who found purpose in labor. Though he earned the right to a quiet retirement, Mitch simply didn’t see the point in sitting still. He moved to Naples, Florida, six years ago and, true to form, "failed" at retirement immediately. He was back to work creating new opportunities and working jobs until the day before he died—still in incredible shape and outworking men half his age. He is fondly remembered by many as “Mitch the Handyman.”

While he was the definition of a “man’s man” and his hands were often calloused from work, Mitch was a man of immense style. He loved to dress to the nines in white pants, a brightly colored shirt and sport coat, listening to music, and driving with the top down, his silver hair flowing in the breeze. Though he was content in his own company, his charm was magnetic. He was a constant fixture on guest lists and a man deeply respected by everyone who shook his hand.

In his later years, Mitch’s life was anchored by his Catholic faith. He became a fixture at San Marco Catholic Church on Marco Island, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister. The community of friends he made there guided his faith immensely over the past few years. He accredited many parishioners with making him a better man and inspiring him to be closer to God. His mornings began by opening the church doors, praying the Rosary and the Chaplet to his beloved patron, St. Anthony. He was a man of disciplined prayer, morning and night, focused specifically on those who had passed before him.

Mitch often reflected aloud that in his younger years, he was a tough and ruthless man. But as he aged, he softened and had a grace-filled awakening, focusing on what truly mattered: his family and his faith. He told his friends and family he was ready whenever God was ready—a peace born of a truly devout heart. Praying that God would have mercy and allow him to simply close his eyes and pass into eternal life, our blessed Father granted him just that.

Mitch is survived by his three sons: Scott (Monica), Corey (Jessica), and his youngest son, Ben, the light of his later years. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, including his oldest grandson Brady, with whom he shared a particularly close and special bond, as well as Zoe, Gianni, Kaitlyn, Kyson, and Eliza.

Mitch would be proud to know that his devout Catholic faith lives on through Scott. His legendary passion for work will continue with Corey. And his tenacious spirit will carry on with Ben. He lived hard, worked harder, and in the end, became a true, old-school gentleman. He was the first person people called when they needed something done, and the silence he leaves behind is a testament to how much space he truly filled. He was a genuine friend to so many and an inspiration that one is never too old to do anything.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 11:00 AM at San Marco Catholic Church, 851 San Marco Rd, Marco Island, FL 34145