Charles Mitchell Minges, 65, was born in Fayetteville, NC, on December 23, 1954, to Mr. Charles Robert Minges and Mrs. Virginia Minges.
The early years of his childhood were spent in Lumberton, NC. From a young age, he was immensely curious and found great enjoyment in books. He would often recall days spent pouring over pages, and the consequent emergence of his pronounced interest in architecture and history, two interests that would remain constant throughout his life. He spoke often of the guiding influence of his father, whom he adored, and his kind and diligent manner. He graduated from high school at the Butler Institute in Mexico, and had a brief spell studying at Boston University. He was, from the beginning, a wholly gentle, kind-hearted person, as well as a consummate autodidact.
He left Boston University and embarked on a now infamous camping trip in Mexico that lasted far longer than intended and coincided with a change of direction in his life. Not long after recuperating from his weeks-long journey and the several ensuing medical afflictions (about which he’d proudly relate his doctor saying, “ I haven’t seen anything like this since the war”), Mitchell began teaching himself about confectionery and working single-handedly to haul immense and scalding copper pans. He pursued the project, like each thing he set his mind to, with a sense of urgency and thorough determination. Eventually, he seized upon the idea of customized labeling for butter mints, educating himself through every step of the process.
Though his interests remained varied throughout his life, he also had the ability to direct his focus and energies with a singular dynamism. He traveled extensively for many years with his dear friend, Ken Isaacs, involved in relief work and motivated constantly by his interest in people. The two spent considerable time in Sudan and Ethiopia.
After stepping back from work in Boone, NC, in the early 2000s, he took up residence in Gloucestershire, UK, before later moving to Naples, FL. In both locations, he returned to some of his old interests, most markedly, architecture. His time in Naples was enriched by a great passion for tennis, and the number of dear friends he made through the sport.
Mitchell Minges had a singular love for people and life, to a degree that could scarcely be replicated. He was constant in his good-will and thoughtfulness toward others. Bearing grudges was foreign to him, as his curiosity about life made him all-too-aware of the difficulties each person might quietly face. He took delight in seeing others happy and well, whether strangers or friends. His love for people was remarkable in its simplicity of origin and aims, for it was directed not towards himself or determined by his relation to others. Instead, his love was one of great compassion for living beings, and ultimately one that improved the lives of those who knew him for just having witnessed it.
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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