{"id":59694,"date":"2025-08-07T10:47:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starr1.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=59694"},"modified":"2025-08-07T10:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T14:47:12","slug":"in-loving-memory-of-dr-marty-mitchell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starr.org\/2025\/in-loving-memory-of-dr-marty-mitchell\/","title":{"rendered":"In Loving Memory of Dr. Marty Mitchell"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Emeritus, Starr Commonwealth<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved former President and CEO, Dr. Martin L. \u201cMarty\u201d Mitchell. Marty dedicated his life to Starr Commonwealth with unwavering passion and a courageous belief in the inherent worth of every child. His legacy is woven into the very fabric of our organization\u2014and it lives on in each life he touched, each value he upheld, and every act of healing and hope inspired by his vision.<\/p>\n

Marty was more than a leader. He was a counselor, a teacher, a champion, a colleague, a mentor\u2014and to so many of us, a dear friend. In 1970, at just 19 years old, Marty began his journey with Starr as a child care worker, not much older than the youth he served. What began as a summer job ignited a lifelong calling. In 2004, he rose to become only the fourth President in Starr\u2019s storied history, guiding us into a new century of service and transforming the landscape of child welfare along the way. Even after his retirement in 2016, Marty continued to support Starr as a board member and president emeritus, bringing his total years of service to a remarkable 55 years.<\/p>\n

Marty led with both heart and vision. He championed trauma-informed care and strength-based approaches long before they were widely understood, always seeing the potential in every young person. Under his leadership, Starr expanded its reach\u2014launching therapeutic boarding schools, autism programs, the Starr Detroit Academy, and Starr\u2019s Professional Learning network, which has trained hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide. His commitment to social justice also laid the foundation for Glasswing, Starr\u2019s racial healing initiative, and set a moral compass for our work that endures to this day.<\/p>\n

His intellect and innovation earned him many accolades, but it was Marty\u2019s humanity that defined him. He led by example\u2014humble, kind, joyful, and full of integrity. His handwritten notes, his hearty laugh, his presence at student performances and staff celebrations, and his belief that \u201cwe must treat children as our social equals\u201d are memories etched in our halls and in our hearts. Marty once wrote, \u201cThe power of being genuine and real with young people\u2026is the key to truly helping others.\u201d He lived those words every single day.<\/p>\n

As we grieve this immense loss and extend our deepest condolences to his family, we also give thanks for the joy, strength, and light that Marty brought into our lives. He challenged us to do better, to be better\u2014for children, for families, for one another. Starr Commonwealth is stronger because of him. The world is better because of him.<\/p>\n

Dr. Marty Mitchell, your legacy is everlasting. Rest in peace, dear friend.<\/p>\n

With love and remembrance,
\nThe Starr Commonwealth Family<\/p>\n

Obituary and service for Marty Mitchell<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Emeritus, Starr Commonwealth It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved former President and CEO, Dr. Martin L. \u201cMarty\u201d Mitchell. Marty dedicated his life to Starr Commonwealth with unwavering passion and a courageous belief in the inherent worth of every child. His legacy is woven into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36326,"featured_media":59695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[13],"class_list":["post-59694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIn Loving Memory of Dr. Marty Mitchell - Starr Commonwealth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It is with profound sorrow and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved former President and CEO, Dr. Martin L. \u201cMarty\u201d Mitchell. 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