Mitchell F. Hyde, 75, Indianapolis, Indiana, passed from his life after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born July 5, 1940 in Lilly, Kentucky to the late Anna (Hyde) and Hubert Blankenship. He retired from Rath Meat Packing in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mitchell’s last and most significant career was as a property owner and landlord for the past 50 years. If you were to ask his tenants, he was much more than a landlord. He was devoted to his rentals, which were a part of his family.

Mitchell could be called the Fred Sanford of Indianapolis. There wasn’t a garage sale or flea market on the west side that was safe from his ever present bartering and tough negotiating skills. His family knew how much he loved his job taking ramshackle homes and turning them into beautifully renovated apartments. But he mostly loved his job for the people he was able to help. His daily presence was felt by all in his neighborhood. He was willing to help those in need meet the necessities of life. He often offered up treasure of used bicycles, kitchen tables, TVs and couches to those who struggled to furnish their homes. There wasn’t a part, tool, piece of furniture or sports equipment he wouldn’t dig up for a neighbor, family member or tenant in need. So though Mitchell’s wife may be a bit angry about the heaps of “junk” he’s left behind for her to deal with, the stacks of lawnmowers, the wrench sets, carcasses of lawnmowers from 1984 rotting in the backyard, it helps to remember the place of generosity for which these piles of stuff have accumulated. Because Mitchell wasn’t so much stocking up for what he might need for himself, but what others might need. These were treasures to him and those needs filled his heart, mind, and a number of garages on the west side.

Mitchell is preceded in death by his mother, father, and step-brother Bill Blankenship. He leaves behind a loving wife Sue Hyde; step-brother Dennis (Cindy) Blankenship; children Michael (Kami) Hyde and Lori (Jesse) Mendez; grandchildren Tiffany (Jeremy) Thompson, Skylar and Jessica Mendez and Presley Hyde; and great-grandchildren Mitchell and Parker Thompson.