Dedicating a life to community service isn’t for everyone, but for Mitch and twin brother Mike McCue it was a life choice that just came naturally. Growing up in Jacksonville Beach the McCue family had a large public presence and being a McCue was a very noticeable thing! Mitch talked about growing up in Jacksonville Beach and said, “The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to the movie ‘The Sandlot’ to the 10th power! We were into X Games type sports, stuff like BMX and motocross, surfing and skateboarding but of course that was long before the X Games. We were like young pioneers and there were so many kids in our neighborhood that we all pushed each other to be better and better at whatever we did.”
Mitch’s mom worked at Fletcher High School so surfing was a sport that carried some risk for the McCue boys. When the surf was epic it wasn’t uncommon for classrooms to be a little light on students, but it wasn’t as easy to come back the next day with a note from your mom when your mom was the one you walked in and handed the note to! So McCue learned a sense of discipline at an early age and that translated into a natural instinct to carry with him an aura of responsibility and maturity that transcended most of the kids from the sandlot.
After high school both Mitch and Mike decided that their path led to community service and they decided to become first responders in the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department. McCue told First Coast Life that, “One of our best friends, Sam Bass, joined the fire department and all of a sudden it was like me and my brother and some of our friends were all joining as well.” McCue wasn’t interested in just being a basic fireman though. He went through additional, specialized training to qualify him to do much more than just fight fire. “One of the courses I completed,” McCue said, “was Confined Space Rescue and another was High Angle Rescue, among a few others, but in a nutshell, I just wanted to be qualified to do as much as possible if the need was there. I just wanted to be efficient at serving those in need if necessary.” After approximately twenty years on the force the McCue boys decided it was time to broaden their horizons and the twins found themselves overseas working as independent military contractors training soldiers how to identify and dispose of life endangering threats like IEDs and more. Sam Bass, whose father is an iconic Neptune Beach Police legend, told us that he remembers those days well and with a big smile on his face. “Actually my dad was an AB Fireman before he was a Neptune Beach cop,” Bass said. “I remember when I decided to go to firefighter school and ultimately was assigned to Station 55 in Atlantic Beach, that before I knew it Mitch and Mike McCue were there, Chris Younger and others. We were so young, in our early 20’s and there we were, working as First Responders, together, a bunch of friends, having the times of our lives!”
“Basically Mike and I did training for landmine detection for the troops, for soldiers, to keep them safe.” McCue added. “It was something we did for our country, our troops, it was just something we did, and it was an honor, it was just what we do.” During that part of Mitch’s life he tragically lost his twin, Mike, to a deranged individual and all of a sudden everything changed. Mitch found himself needed by the family to help take care of his mother, who also lost her husband to grief the same day Mike died. With so many friends in the beach community, an outpouring of emotional support came flooding in and those friends wanted to memorialize Mike McCue in the best way they could come up with. Danny Fulmer, CEO of Fultech- Audio/Video, was one of those kids from the “Sandlot” and told us that, “As a kid I was at the McCue house or Mitch & Mike were at my house so much and one of the things we loved to do was go down to the boat ramp and watch the people putting their boats in the water. We would laugh so hard at the attempts people made to launch their boats who just didn’t really know what they were doing!”
After Mike’s death Fulmer spearheaded an effort to have the boat ramp area turned into The Mike McCue Memorial Park and the city agreed to comply. “It was an effort way bigger than just myself,” Fulmer said. “Anson Dewolf, Kevin Patton and Bill Wilber and myself all came together and we initiated a plan to sell personalized pavers to raise money to both beautify the park as well as modernize some of the areas used by the public.”
Needing to both assist with family matters and earn a living, Mitch started Home Services By McCue, and as with everything in his life, the business was built on a solid reputation of community service, trust, reliability and professionalism. “In the early days of this business it was more a kind of handyman service if you will,” Mitch said. “I was raising a thirteen year old daughter and I had my family responsibilities and I needed something that I Could take off from if I needed to. With friends like Jeff DeAngelis and Jay Dodson at Void Magazine I had Handyman 904 and I got jobs like changing locks and small painting requests and it grew from there. I mean it was a perfect example of how our beach community takes care of its own. People knew what I was going through and the business began to grow and I studied for my General Contractor’s license, then I got certified in HVAC and I got my Pest Control certification, and then went into roofing and before I knew it we had multiple divisions and things were going well.”
It was around this time that Mitch decided to throw his hat in the ring to run for Mayor of Jacksonville Beach. “I had my own ideas of how the city had sort of taken a turn in the wrong direction and I thought I would like to become the Mayor and do everything in my power to ‘return the city to the residents,’” McCue said. Having never forayed into politics before, McCue was advised to run for City Council first and then take a stab at Mayor, but he had his own reasons for not taking that advice. “No, I saw the direction the politicians were taking the city I grew up in and I wanted to see it return to the family-friendly environment that I remembered growing up in.” McCue said. Long-time friend and occasional mentor, Mitch Kaufmann remembered McCue’s bid for Mayor. “I told Mitch he should run for City Council first and then he would have no problem winning the mayoral race,” Kaufmann recalled. “I mean, I believe Mitch would have been a great Mayor for Jacksonville Beach, but one of his opposing candidates was Charlie Latham that year and Charlie was going to be hard to beat.” Ultimately McCue lost to Latham by a slim margin, but when asked if another shot at it is in his future, McCue would only grin and say, “Never say never.”
Being a relatively small business owner serving the beaches and the First Coast in general, Mitch was asked how he felt about his role as a local employer as well as a service provider. He told First Coast Life, “It’s kind of funny because I never gave that much thought, but looking back I remember my dad employed a lot of local residents and now looking at the present I’m proud to be following in his footsteps. I mean I employ a good number of local people. I have ex-military working for me and I have skilled workers on the payroll and I have some old friends as well in my employ. It’s a nice feeling to know that I am still giving back and that is important.” When it comes to McCue’s belief in reliability, trustworthiness, professionalism and integrity, Dan Fulmer wanted to add that McCue has been hired to help his mother as well. “After my dad died,” Fulmer said, “My mom was in need of some work out at her house and I called Mitch to go out and see if he could help. His guys put in a new ramp on the deck, with hand rails and traction surfacing and it’s a good feeling knowing that mom is safe and the work was done with quality, on a timely basis and at an affordable price.”
Mitch McCue’s resiliency speaks for itself when it comes to overcoming adversity and challenges. His life has included years of public service, as a First Responder he has saved lives. As a contending politician, he has stuck to his natural instincts. As a family man, he has raised his daughter and made sure his mother was safe, happy and content. As a businessman, he has grown a handyman service into a major home services business that serves the community with respect, honesty and reliability. And as a man, it’s practically impossible to encounter Mitch McCue without that 1000-watt smile lighting up the conversation. One thing for certain is that we have not heard the last of Mitch McCue. Not by a long shot.
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Mike is a native First Coaster and was a leading figure in surfing and skateboarding for most of his life. After promoting music for many years on the local music scene, Mike now brings a unique perspective to FirstCoast.Life as a contributing writer.
5 Responses
Good article well written – great family
Wonderful article!
Thanks for great post!
This is a keeper!
Great story about a great man and family that I have known for life. I wish I had Mitches energy and attitude for running my business. He gives 110% every time I see him.
I met Mitch 6 years ago. He was a stand up person and still is. I had him put windows in our home and it was timely and on budget. He has become a personal friend. This article is great but does not mention that he sends over 20 turkeys to hospital workers on Thanksgiving Day, at no charge; only to serve those who serve when others don’t. Thank you Mitch, we love you and our world is a better place because of you. Shane