MITCHELL – Michael “Mike” Dwayne Pugh, 65, passed away peacefully Thursday, February 19, 2026, at his residence surrounded by family.
Born October 23, 1960, in Lawrence County, he was the son of Marion Dwight “Kory” Pugh and Priscilla Rose “Pat” (Strange) Pugh. He married Judy Lynnette Beasley on September 5, 1980 and she survives.
Mike was a 1979 graduate of Mitchell High School and was a member of Liberty Baptist Church. He retired from ISI and was owner/operator of Pugh Fusion, Inc.
A sommelier of long leaf tobacco. A striker of metal and melodious chords.
He was a machinist by trade and a craftsman by instinct- a welder of seams, an operator of bore machines, a man fluent in tolerances and time signatures alike. Mike worked close to power- the kind that hums, rattles, and tests a man’s footing. Steel can push back. He knew how to push back harder. In the shop, Mike didn’t merely operate machinery – he steadied it. He carried the kind of balance that only comes from working shoulder to shoulder with force and learning how to stand firm when things shake. Some men are shaped by comfort. He was shaped by torque, grit, and the steady rhythm of honest work.
The cowboy hat in his photograph is no costume. It belongs. Not because he chased cattle, but because he understood dust, pressure, and resolve. He wore it the way he wore responsibility – naturally.
Mike could play nearly any instrument placed in his hands. Where others saw strings, keys, or valves, he saw possibility. After a day of sparks and steel, he could sit down and make music with the same confidence he brought to the shop floor. His life moved in rhythm – machinery by day, melody by night.
He was a husband, a father, a son, a brother – the quiet architect of a strong foundation. He taught not always with words, but with example. Show up. Work hard. Hold steady. Take care of your people. Loyalty wasn’t something he talked about; it was something he practiced.
He loved Jesus – not loudly, not for display, but steadily. His faith was the quiet anchor beneath everything else. In a world that shakes, he believed in something unshakable. That belief shaped the way he loved, the way he worked, and the way he stood guard over his family.
Mike enjoyed Game of Thrones – iron, fire, kingdoms, and courage. Perhaps that’s because he understood those things well. His kingdom was not built of stone walls or thrones, but of welding arcs, bore machines, guitars, and a family who knew he stood guard over them all. He didn’t need an Iron Throne to lead. His strength was already proven.
He leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind callused hands in the next generation. He leaves behind music still echoing in rooms he once filled. He leaves behind stories that will grow stronger with every telling.
The machines may be quieter now. The hat may hang still, but the rhythm he set – in steel, in song, in family, and in faith – carries on.
Surviving are his wife, Judy Lynnette Pugh of Mitchell; children, Trisha Lynn (Nathan) King of Mitchell and Shala Michelle (Jesse) Burnette of Bedford; grandchildren, Reagan Michael (Madison Hensley) Walls, Hunter Talmage Sneed, and Jimma Zay-Lynn Rain Sneed; step-grandchildren, Alayla Mitchell, Aidon King; Jaydan King, Blake King, Peyton King, and Kinley King; great-granddaughter, Serena Opal Lynn Walls; step-great-granddaughter, Azella King; siblings, Lee Ann (Gary) Mesarosh of Mitchell, Kevin Dwight (Twila) Pugh of Mitchell, and Rebecca Lynn Smith of Paoli; and several nieces and nephews.
His parents; grandparents; father-in-law, Charles Beasley; and nephew, Steven Hopper, preceded him in death.
Funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, at the Liberty Baptist Church with Pastor Don McNabb officiating. Burial will follow at Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 23, at Chastain Funeral Home & Cremation Center and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service on Tuesday at Liberty Baptist Church.
Memorial Gifts: Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery Fund (c/o Liberty Baptist Church)
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