Mr. William “Billy” Mitchell died unexpectedly on January 9, 2022 in New York, NY at the age of 63.

Billy is survived by his brothers Eugene, Raymond, and Melvin, his nieces Erika, Tiffany, Aliphia, Adelia, Raina, Melvina, Josephine, and Nicole, his nephews Joseph and Muhaimin., along with many great nieces and great nephews, cousins in FL and SC, and a host of friends who love him dearly. He is preceded in death by mother Walta Jean Howard, grandmother Jessie Mae Howard, aunts Mary Key of Delray Beach, Fl., Bettye Bowler, Johnnie Spearman, uncle Leroy Earl Howard of New York City and brother, Gary Jerome Mitchell.

     Billy was born on January 16, 1958, in New York, NY to Walta “Billye” Jean Howard and William Mitchell and from an early age showed great academic promise.

He attended Monsignor William R. Kelly School in Manhattan, NY and received a scholarship to attend Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. From there, he  received Georgia and National Achievement Scholarships to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology.  In 1981, Billy graduated with a 4.0 GPA with his Bachelor of Civil Engineering. He went on to earn the Urban Land Institute Kenneth M. Good Fellowship Award while finishing his Masters in Community Development from Georgia State University in 1989.

     As a registered Professional Engineer in the states of New York and Georgia, he continued his dream to build better cities by serving as the Regional Bridge Inspection Engineer the Georgia Department of Transportation, and as the City of Atlanta’s Capitol Improvement Bond Project Manager. His most notable contributions included designing and supervising projects on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Queen Midtown Tunnel, the Port Elizabeth Terminal, LaGuardia Airport, Grand Central Parkway, the Verrazano Bridge, and the Mitchell Street Bridge.

     Billy was an avid media lover. The books, the music, the dvd box sets. He was always consuming. Whether it was ecological, historical, humanitarian, or pure fantasy, he was all in. It began with comic books, and he eventually fell in love with Anime.  

     Billy always found a way to build close bonds in his community. People knew his name; they knew his order and they welcomed any friend of his.

     Billy was the Best of Us. The best Son, the best Brother, the best Uncle, the best Friend, and the best sharer of all special occasions. He was forever spreading joy with his beaming smile.

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A Celebration of Life is scheduled for January 20, 2022 at 6pm at the GatheringUs Memorial site.  All are welcome to attend and celebrate Billy's life.