Mitchell Moore

Tupelo – Mitchell Ray Moore, 92, longtime Tupelo automotive dealer, salesman, and businessman, died Wednesday August 10, 2016, in the hospice unit at North Mississippi Medical Center after a short illness. Mitchell was born and raised south of Dorsey in the Hopewell Baptist Church area in Itawamba County to Jackson and Lizzie Witt Moore. In 1943, Mitchell joined the Navy and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. While in Norfolk, he developed an uncanny knack for requisitioning thus preventing him from being transferred by superiors who needed him working for them. After the war, Mitchell married Chris Franks Moore in 1946 and they moved to Tupelo. His first job in Tupelo was working for Doodle Ash at a service station in East Tupelo. After a short while he began working for Dan Hester. In 1954, he met John Marvin Pearce and together joined forces and began Moore and Pearce Motor Company originally located on the levee in Tupelo. Their business was later relocated to South Gloster Street. They later acquired the Pontiac and Cadillac dealership and relocated once again to Spring Street and became known as Big 4 Pontiac-Cadillac. Not long after, the dealership moved to South Gloster where Dossett Big 4 is currently located. Mitchell and John Marvin remained partners until 1980 when the dealership was purchased by Rudy Dossett. Mitchell continued working in automotive sales with Dossett Big 4 and was named Salesman of the Month and Salesman of the Year numerous times for the Honda division while working there. Throughout his life, Mitchell’s passion was selling cars. He was a loving father and grandfather, and he was known for his generosity and caring heart. For over 60 years, he remained a faithful and devoted member of Harrisburg Baptist Church.