Wilbur Mitcham | |
|---|---|
 Wilbur “Chef” Mitcham | |
| Born | December 10, 1923 |
| Died | June 15, 2003 (aged 79) |
| Spouse | Annie Mae Leonard Mitcham |
| Culinary career | |
Previous restaurant(s)
| |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | U.S. Army |
Wilbur Mitcham (December 10, 1923 - June 15, 2003) was an American chef.
Mitcham briefly served in the U.S. Army as a field artilleryman during World War II but was medically discharged for health reasons. Upon his discharge from the Army he went to New York City. In New York, he studied cooking under an Asian chef.
Mitcham returned to Macon and landed a position as a short order cook with Len Berg's Restaurant in 1943. "Chef", as he was so affectionately known by his constituents and friends, served as the senior chef cook of Len Berg's Restaurant for over 60 years until he took ill. [1] [2] [3] He cooked for Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and Joe Dimaggio.
Mitcham was married to Annie Mae Leonard for over 60 years, and together they raised eleven children: Patricia A. Mitcham, Ernest Tobias (nephew), Samaria R. Mitcham, Cozy L. Mitcham, Wilhelmina Mitcham, Lydia M. Mitcham, Mary L. Mitcham, Zachery S. Mitcham, Wilma F. Mitcham, Charlotte B. Mitcham, and Julia M. Mitcham. He also fathered two additional children, a daughter, Laverne Patterson, and a son, Eric Jackson. Mitcham passed away on Father’s Day in 2003.
Mitcham is featured in the book “Remembering Len Berg's Restaurant”. He was the father of Samaria (Mitcham) Bailey and “The Gay Preacher’s Wife” author Lydia Meredith and is featured in her book.