Mitchell J Sabagh

Mitchell J. Sabagh, 95, died November 15, 2010. Born in New London, CT to Bahia and Monsour Sabagh, he lived in Port St. Lucie, Fla., for 30 years, coming from Washington, DC. He is survived by his wife, Rita, sister, Victoria, daughters, Michele, Denyse and Anne, grandsons, Henry and Dan and great grandson, Riley and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Josephine (nee Sawaya).

A graduate of Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., and Georgetown University Law School, Washington, DC, he served as a Captain with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Pacific during WWII and in Legal Headquarters, USMC, Washington, DC. After the war, he served as a trial attorney (1947-1952) with the Anti-Trust Division in the Office of Export Controls, Department of Commerce, where he prevented the shipment of strategic items to Communist China and North Korea. He served as a trial attorney with the Department of Justice, Anti-Trust Division winning cases against some of the largest cartels in the world. He then served as a trial attorney with the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission and the Department of Interior, Office of Hearings and Appeals. From there he was assigned to the Bureau of Mines as their first assessment officer and was instrumental in writing regulations and trying cases against coal mines that violated the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969. Prior to retiring in 1980, he served as a Federal Administrative Appeals Judge with the Board of Indian Appeals, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.

He was an accomplished musician, bandleader and singer, having led two bands, The Varsity Five and The Sunset Serenaders, (a multicultural and multiracial band in the 40’s). He coached baseball at Gonzaga High School in Washington, DC. He was a leader of the Lebanese-American Club in Washington, DC. He served for about 20 years as an usher at Holy Family Church in Port St. Lucie, FL.

Donations may be made in his name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN or to Holy Family Catholic Church 2330 Mariposa Avenue, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952.

Visitation will be at Holy Family Catholic Church in the Chapel from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, November 18, 2010. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m., on Friday, November 19, 2010, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 2330 SE Mariposa Avenue, Port St. Lucie, Fla. Interment will be at Forest Hills Cemetery, 2001 SW Murphy Road, Palm City, Fla.

FL.