If you went to a CIAA Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, you probably saw him — tall, stylish, and always immaculately dressed.
Abraham Mitchell was a dapper gentleman.
Throughout tournament games, he’d march in and out of the arena, dressed in a dazzling array of self-made clothes.
Fans gave him the nickname “Mr. CIAA,” which he proudly wore like a three-piece suit.
Mitchell died on Tuesday, in his birthplace of Suffolk, Virginia. He was 95 years old.
Mitchell, who worked as a mortician, seems to like posing for selfies with fans, and the CIAA welcomed him into its Hall of Fame in 2016. Mitchell had been attending the tournaments for almost 30 years, according to conference officials.
The thin, soft-spoken man who loved fedoras and dark spectacles told QCity Metro in 2016 that he was thrilled to be inducted into the hall of fame.
“Everyone is just so friendly and excited because I was inducted,” he told me. “Everyone said I deserved it years before now, but I appreciate what they did for me.”
“I enjoy being Mr. CIAA,” he continued. “I don’t find no enemies.”
The CIAA on Wednesday issued the following statement on its social channels:
It is difficult to put into words the depth of our loss with the passing of Mr. Mitchell. Since 2018, his absence at the tournament has been profoundly felt. Mr. Mitchell will forever hold a cherished place in the CIAA family, having created countless beautiful memories for our fans, students, and partners over the span of more than four decades. As a distinguished member of the CIAA Hall of Fame, Class of 2016, his remarkable legacy will endure for generations to come. During this time of honoring and celebrating his extraordinary life, we extend our heartfelt prayers for comfort and peace to the Mitchell family.
Mitchell stated that he carried approximately 27 suits to the four-day competition held in Charlotte in 2016.
“Not that I will use all 27,” he replied. “It depends on how many I do per game and how many times I’m stopped (by fans).”
Mitchell stated that he frequently tried to match his outfits to the color of the team uniforms, depending on which colleges were playing.
Tina Mitchell, a great-niece, said her uncle’s health had been deteriorating for years. He stopped visiting CIAA tournaments soon after being inducted into the hall of fame, she added.
“He didn’t have any sons, and his nephews really didn’t want to take him out traveling, so they had him to sit down,” she told me.
Tina Mitchell stated that her great-uncle worked for years at a Suffolk funeral parlor, personally handling all family funerals.
“I just remember (as a child) seeing this tall, skinny man with all these rings on his fingers,” she added, saying that, despite the showmanship, her uncle was an extremely private man who lived “an alternative lifestyle.”
Tina Mitchell believes her great-uncle’s ability to make people happy may have arisen from his employment at the funeral parlor.
“He loved just being a crowd pleaser,” she told me. “He wanted to provide life and happiness to the folks who are still alive. He witnessed the other side of misery and death. He wanted to provide happiness to those who are still alive.”
After Mitchell’s health deteriorated and he stopped attending CIAA events, thieves broke into his home and stole numerous outfits, hats, and pieces of jewelry, according to Tina Mitchell.
“His fashion sense was extraordinary,” Tina Mitchell recalled. “He had room for everything. He had separate rooms for suits, hats, and jewelry.”
Mitchell stated in a 2016 interview with QCity Metro that his home contained between 300 and 400 outfits, many of which he had constructed himself. Others, he explained, he simply designed. He admitted to giving away some of his outfits at the insistence of a nephew.
Tina Mitchell told QCity Metro via email that the family was “deeply saddened” by the death of her great-uncle, the family’s oldest living member.
“His efforts will be remembered and valued indefinitely. “He leaves an incredible legacy for the tournaments,” she added.
This post has been amended to incorporate a statement from the CIAA.