Mitchell Rubin

Mitchell Jay Rubin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away on February 10th, 2026, at the age of 74. He was born on February 3rd, 1952, to Bernard and Claire (nee Katz) Rubin and raised on Glenview Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

During high school, Mitchell worked numerous jobs, including behind the deli counter and as a legal courier, while also running his family’s bar at 16thand York. He earned his GED while juggling these jobs and supporting his family. He went on to learn the ins and outs of City Hall, and run a successful legal services business that he sold in 2011 when he retired. Mitchell was a Commissioner of The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission from 1998 to 2009, serving as the Chair of the Commission from 2003 to 2009. He also served in a number of community and civic roles, including Commissioner of the Bustleton Bengals.

In 1993, he met Ruth Arnao and they married in 2005, sharing 30+ years together. They spent the first part of their relationship enjoying bayside sunsets in Ventnor, NJ, and the tail end waking up to sunrises in the Poconos. Together they loved hosting parties, and welcomed any and all to their family gatherings. The love and loyalty that they had for each other was incredibly special and unrivaled.

Mitchell was a prolific pinochle player, and cherished his weekly card game going on 40+ years, which was in and of itself its own multigenerational extended family. He loved watching (and often times agonizing over) the Phillies and Eagles and sharing those moments with his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed buying, selling, collecting, and especially driving cars. He was most at home holding court at numerous hang outs over the years from Shanks in South Philly to The Palm, and most recently at Little Pete’s in Fairmount and Steve Stein's Famous Deli in the Northeast; trading in his business suits for his favorite Under Armour sweatsuits, and returning to the diner and deli scene where he was his truest self. In the end, he cherished his relationships with his friends and family more than anything else.

He is survived by his wife Ruth; sister Sheri (nee Rubin) Shavitz and brother-in-law Steve Shavitz; children Chad (Erika Rubin), Blake (Ariel Schwartz), Emily (Lisa McNeely), and Mark Arnao (Carol Pernot); grandchildren Jacob, Hannah, Evan, Maggie, Finn, Robyn, and CoCo; and former spouse Elyn (nee Steiger) Rubin. He was preceded in death by his brother Hershey.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial of Mitchell’s life on Friday, February 13th, 2026 at Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Funeral Home, 310 2nd Street Pike, Southampton, PA at 11:30 am (the family will begin receiving friends at 11:00 am), followed by internment at Shalom Memorial Park. Shiva will be held on Saturday and Sunday, time and location TBD.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mitchell’s memory may be made to: MANNA (www.mannapa.org/) or the American Heart Association (www.heart.org).