Mitchell Ricard

Mitchell C. "Putha" Ricard IV is remembered by family and friends for the close relationships that defined his life. He was a father to his daughter, My'La Sterling Ricard, and a son to Mitchell Ricard III and Aretha Miller. Those personal ties—parenthood, family, and belonging—were central to who he was and how he is held in memory.

He was surrounded by a large extended family: siblings, grandparents, and many relatives who carried his name and remembered his presence in everyday moments. Church and community were part of Mitchell’s life; family and members of Second Baptist and Second Nazarene Baptist Churches, Asbury United Methodist Church and neighboring congregations came together to honor him, reflecting the place he held in the spiritual and social life of his community.

Visitation and funeral services were held in early October 2010 at Second Baptist Church in Algiers, where family, friends, and church members gathered to offer comfort and to share stories that preserved the shape of his life. He was laid to rest at Dobard Cemetery in Jesuit Bend, where loved ones said their final goodbyes and committed his memory to a place family members could visit and reflect.

The printed funeral notice entrusted arrangements to Murray Henderson Funeral Home and lists the many relatives who survive him—an indication of the connections and relationships through which his life continues to be remembered. While public records focus on formal notices and services, the more lasting record is in the people who carry his name forward: his daughter, his parents, siblings, grandparents, a wide circle of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who recall him in private memory.

Mitchell’s life—short but loved—remains present in family remembrances, church gatherings, and the everyday acts of those who knew him. This memorial honors the relationships he held and the enduring place he occupies in the hearts of those who loved him.