Michael Stephen Mitchell

MICHAEL STEPHEN MITCHELL
FATHER, CPA. ROTARIAN, HAM RADIO OPERATOR, DODGER FAN, AND FRIEND
Michael Stephen Mitchell died July 23, 2025 at Emerald Springs Senior Living in Yuma,
Arizona after a long battle with cancer. He lived a rich, fun, and productive life full of
personal adventures, and was dedicated to his profession, families, friendships, and
service to others. Michael was born July 23, 1947 at Pomona Valley Hospital in
Pomona, California to parents Morris Hilton Mitchell and Opal Easter Mitchell, (nee
Mobley). He lived his entire childhood in Glendora, California. At 14 years he began his
hobby and avocation as an Amateur(HAM) Radio Operator which continued throughout
his life. At age 16 he was a student accounting intern at Phillips Land Development, the
company that developed Lake Havasu, where his assignment was to track, record, and
account for the movement of London Bridge, piece by piece, from London to Lake
Havasu. At age 17 upon graduating from Glendora High School he joined the United
States Navy. After basic training and tech school, he spent the next three years in
Naples, Italy maintaining electronic surveillance equipment which monitored ship
movement through the Mediterranean Sea.
After receiving his Honorable Discharge in1968, Mike attended college at Cal Poly –
Pomona and Long Beach State University where he received his BS in accounting and
passed his State CPA exams. While attending college full time he also worked full time
as an electronics technician at General Dynamics and Hughes Aircraft. He married
Page Wisely in December 1970. Two daughters were born to this marriage, Brooke
Michalina and Cortney Twila. He and Page divorced in 1982. Michael’s early career
was in corporate accounting and in the late 1980’s Mike was Comptroller for a Trane
Corporation Division in the City of Industry, California.
In the late 1980’s Mike heard a little-known Jimmy Buffett band at the Golden Bear in
Huntington Beach and instantly became a Jimmy Buffett “Parrot Head”. The next year
he and his future wife, Dianna Lee, rented a tour bus and followed the Jimmy Buffett
tour across the United States. In 1990 he and Dianna were married and a son, Mathew
Littleton Lee-Mitchell was born in 1992. Michael continued to advance in his CPA
profession becoming President of Michael S. Mitchell Tax Service within the Inland
Empire Tax Group located in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. He and Dianna divorced
in 2002. He continued to grow his Tax Service Accounting business until 2010 when he
sold his business and at age 63 and retired. While living and working in Rancho
Cucamonga Michael had many volunteer and civic activities and positions. He was a
member and president of Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce, a member and
president of the Rancho Cucamonga Rotary Club, and a representative and coordinator
of San Bernardino YMCA Youth in Government Program taking high school students to
Sacramento each year to observe and participate in California State Government. Mike
continued his Ham radio activities as an active member and participant in the National

Amateur Radio Emergency Service organization.. He was a member of the Newport
Beach Yacht Club and for several years enjoyed sailing to Catalina Island and up and
down the California coast. Another life long enthusiastic interest for Mike was his love
for the Los Angeles Dodgers from the day they came to Los Angeles in 1958 until he
watched his last game two days before he passed.
Mike loved the country of Mexico, it’s history, culture, language, and mostly it’s people.
He was a fluent Spanish speaker and in 2010 he retired to live in Mexico. He lived
there for more than 10 years, living in several cities mostly along the Mexican-USA
border. He had many adventures and experiences, including owning a bar and saloon,
a Mexican marriage and divorce, member and president of Mexicali Rotary Club and
travelling throughout Mexico following his beloved soccer team, the Guadalajara
Chivas.
Mike’s love of work and accounting lured him back into active accounting work and in
2014 he joined the staff of Terkelsen, Smith, Tyree,& Snell in Yuma, Arizona, which
later merged with Frost PLLC Certified Public Accounting. Besides his normal CPA
duties, he specialized in large estate tax planning and accounting. He retired from Frost
in June 2025 as a Senior Manager. This was his most satisfying and fun CPA life
experience working with a great staff, bosses, and customers.
Mike joined the Yuma Rotary Club in 2014, and truly lived the motto, Service Above
Self. In 2018-2019 he served as President of the Yuma Rotary Club, where he
encouraged Rotarians to raise funds to donate school supplies to the youth of Mexico.
Mike was regularly seen working at the Walt Kammann Sausage Fry and the Yuma
County Fair Booth. Mike was known for his sense of humor and commitment living the
Four Way Test.

He is proceeded in death by his parents and his brother, Jeffery Lynn Mitchell and
leaves his two daughter, Cortney and Brooke, son, Matt, eight grandchildren, and older
brother Dwight Glendel Mitchell.
Open casket funeral will be at Yuma Mortuary on August 9, 2025 at 10:00am at Yuma
Mortuary, 775 S. 5 th Avenue in Yuma, AZ . There will also be a military burial for Mike
at Riverside National Cemetery in California on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at
10:45am.
In honor of Mike’s life consider a donation to his favorite charity, school supplies for
Mexican children across the border near Yuma. Send donations to the Yuma Rotary
Club international charity fund at Yuma Rotary Club, P.O. Box 1739, Yuma, AZ 85366.

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