Loving, smart, curious, big thinker, listener
In college, Mitchell would often call his mom, Maria, for a recipe to whip up for all his friends. Not only did Mitchell love the act of cooking, but he loved sharing it, weaving community through food and connecting strangers over dishes. Later, he would recount these dinner parties to Maria, sending her photos and memories. That was the kind of person Mitchell was: a loving son, a giving friend, a community maker, and a talented chef.
Every year for Christmas, Maria bought Mitchell and his older sister, Aly, a new glass ornament to hang on the Christmas tree. It was a beloved tradition that Mitchell always looked forward to. When he was two, the ornaments of choice were delicate glass cherries. Sounds of snapping and crunching behind the tree soon revealed little Mitchell, pacifier in his mouth, slowly pulling apart and crushing each cherry.
The Rupena family owned a grocery store where Mitchell worked. He was proud to be a part of it and dreamed of adding a coffee bar. One day, with his mother, he sketched out a little design for a coffee bar on a napkin. After his passing, Maria added a corner cafe in his honor called Mitchell’s Coffee.
When not in the kitchen or at the family business, Mitchell was often gaming. Just as cooking was an inherently social passion for him, gaming also became a space for intimate and meaningful friendships. After his passing, many friends reached out to Maria. They had met Mitchell through gaming but remembered him for his vulnerability. They told her he often shared his experiences with addiction and had helped many of them with their own struggles. Even through the medium of online games, Mitchell’s profound sensitivity and impact came through.
A year before Mitchell’s passing, he nearly died from a hemorrhaged pancreas. He was in the hospital for three weeks and prescribed addictive pain medications. After the prescriptions ran out, Mitchell suffered. He behaved in self-destructive ways to get the medicine again. The family was in and out of the hospital that entire year. Addiction eclipsed the Mitchell that his family and friends knew; he became unreliable and reckless. Yet, his desire to lead a life outside the grips of addiction still shone through.
On the night that he passed, he asked a girl out–a wonderful friend who listened to him and refrained from substance use. Mitchell was striving towards a structured life outside the claws of addiction. He sought guidance and planned to study cybersecurity in the fall. Even in the darkest depths of his struggle, Mitchell fought for the life he deserved.
Mitchell touched many lives and will never be forgotten. His mom will always remember his cute smile, the letters and music he shared with her, and the phone calls and texts he would send–even from just a room over. Even the trail of socks he left around the house is now cherished and mourned in his absence.
Mitchell’s mom, Maria Rupena, provided the information for this narrative.
April 25, 2000-January 27, 2022-Age 22
Portrait Artist: Elizabeth Jones
Narrative Writer: Livia Cohen
