Dr. Rebecca Hayward Mitchell is the second of seven children born to Franklin and Lutheran Hayward on September 1, 1947. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she attended Philadelphia Public Schools and Universities.

Rebecca, also know as “Becky” and “Sissy”, was born with the spirit to serve and that spirit remained with her until she transitioned. Whatever she put her hands to do whether it was in the home, her community, her church or school, she put forth her best effort. She was an excellent student and she was the “Teacher’s Pet.” She respected and loved all of her teachers and she volunteered to help her teacher during and after school. Rebecca was an active member of the Folk-dance Group and the Glee Club.

She was a member of the Student Council, the Debate Team, School Choir, Drama Club and the Track Team. In addition, she was a reporter for the school newspaper and the treasurer of the school. Rebecca served as School Ambassador to the Nation Youth Conference in Harrisburg and in Washington, DC, Vice President of her high school and was inducted into the National Honor Society. She also did volunteer work at Saint Marth’s Settlement House, where she worked in the office, tutored and mentored other students and assisted the blind. She saw all this volunteer work as a “seed that she was sewing not as a debt that she owed.”

Rebecca was never lost for words, she had an abiding faith in God. She demonstrated determination, inquisitiveness and intelligence. She had a desire to serve which paid off. Rebecca started her post high school education by attending Albert Einstein School of Nursing. While in school she worked in the surgical ward for eight month. Rebecca decided that nursing was not the helping profession that she needed to pursue. So Rebecca attended Temple University and graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Education with a major in Comprehensive Secondary English. Rebecca’s motto was “Excellence is my ONLY option” and she had a thirst for knowledge that was phenomenal. Over the years at Temple University she earned two additional degree: Master’s of Secondary Education majoring in Comprehensive English and a Doctor of Education majoring in Curriculum Instruction and Technology and Education. She earned 3 certifications: Secondary Comprehensive English, Supervisory/Communication, and Secondary Principal Certificate.

At St. Joseph’s University, she earned a Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility.
Rebecca began he professional teaching career at Strawberry Mansion Junior High School as an English teacher in the Independent Study Program. Later, she transferred to George Washington High School. While at Washington High School, she received a research grant and she and another colleague developed a curriculum to teach students a course on Multi-Cultural Literature.

Rebecca and several of her colleagues put on a large musical production of African American History. While working at Washington, as a classroom teacher, Rebecca received many honors to include:
- Semifinalists in the Philadelphia School Districts excellence in teaching celebration
- Recipient of the Literacy Award for Philadelphia Council of International Reading Association
- Curriculum Development for Lincoln University Urban Campus
- Philadelphia Department of Education award for presenting a professional development session on teachers expectations and students achievements
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Fellowship for Graduate Studies
- Council for basic education Philadelphia Fellowship for Multicultural Studies.

Rebecca worked as an administrator in Philadelphia for 12 years as an Assistant Principal at Benjamin Franklin High School, University High School, Fells High School and W.B. Saul High School. She received a well deserved promotion to Principal of Amy Northwest Middle School and later to Roxborough High School where she had over 3,800 students. In addition to being a teacher and an administrator, down through the years, in the summertime she taught writing strategies at Messiah College. She was an Adjunct Professor at Lincoln and Cheney & Penn State Universities where she taught educational administration classes for aspiring administrators and Arcadia University - Student Teacher Supervisor, English Department.

With all this, she found time to be an active member of several professional organizations:
- Phi Delta Kappa, Incorporated - professional organization of women in the field of education
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
-Leadership and Excellence for Administrators and Pennsylvania Schools

She was also the Second Vice President for the National Association of University Women - Suburban Philadelphia Branch

Rebecca even conducted several professional development sessions which included:
- Using NASA material to teach English, Math and Science at Lincoln University
- Bureau of Education and Research - successful co-teaching strategies
- Educational Records Bureau - Writing National test item
- The importance of diversity
-Improving student’s writing skills
- Couples learning Center - Building marriage and family skills

Rebecca was an active member of her family singing group, the Overton Family Singers. She also organized and planned their family reunions and supported her family, friends and neighbors in all endeavors. For 40 years, Rebecca was a dedicated and active member of her church, Mount Zion Pentecostal Church in Philadelphia. She was President of the Sunday School for the Northern District of the First Born Church of the Living God, Inc.

In February of 2007, she retired from public education. Even in retirement, it did not stop her from serving others. She continued to volunteer. She got involved in reading to preschool students at North Hills Community Center monthly; Ministered in song to senior citizen at Convalescent and Retirement homes monthly more specially West Oakland Senior Center in Philadelphia and Lamont Community Centers in Cheltenham weekly; became President of the Leisure Travelers RV Club in Philadelphia and New Jersey and President of the Board of Trustees for Tacony Preparatory Charter School.

While in the 10th grade, Rebecca met and fell in love with Robert, and 11th grade and the have never departed since. As Rebecca melodic voice sang, “How Great Thou Art.” Their eyes met and it was love at first sight for both of them. They got married on August 6, 1965 on a shoestring budget. God has proven to be great in their lives for he has blessed them abundantly. They are bless with two handsome sons born five yeas apart on the same day, April 30th. They also have a phenomenal daughter-in-law, two beautiful granddaughters and one handsome grandson. God has blessed them professionally and spiritually and he has anointed Robert to preach the Gospel and Rebecca to sing songs of Zion.

Dr. Mitchell has given the school district of Philadelphia 34 years of excellent professional service demonstrating love and devotion for the job and to the students that she ministered to.
Rebecca moved to Florida with her husband in January of 2015. Shortly after they moved, they joined Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Dr. J.H. Williams. Being retired, the goal was just to sit and worship God. God had another plan, Rebecca ended up being the Church Clerk, Church Secretary and Director of both Senior and Junior Choir. Her husband became an Associated Pastor of Abyssinia Missionary Baptist Church. She also became apart of the Scholarship Judging Committee the Bartow Deacon’s and Steward’s Alliance.

On Thursdays, she was apart of the missionary group that visited Rohr Senior Citizen Home. In her spare time, she taught Vacation Bible School at Abyssinia Baptist Church. She work tirelessly until her health would no longer allow her to do so.

On December 21, 2024 at 5:10 p.m., God called her to the transitional stage of her journey.
She is survived by the love of her life, her husband of 59, Elder Robert Mitchell. They did everything and went everywhere in the name of the Lord together demonstrating love and compassion for each other and for God. 2 devoted sons: Robert Mitchell, III and Rodney Mitchell; 3 phenomenal grandchildren: Amaya Mitchell, Alessandra Mitchell and Robert “R.J.” Mitchell; a wonderful daughter-in-law: Jennifer Mitchell; 1 brother: Dr. Frank Hayward; 2 sisters, 5 sisters-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law, 2 Aunts and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, family and friends.