Michael Yakes
2024 – 

YAKES, Michael J. Honorable "Mayor Mike" a beloved figure of Gulfport, FL, sadly left us July 23, 2024. He was a native of Michigan and moved to Gulfport as a boy in the 1940s. His father and grandfather built much of the city when the area was just a coastal village surrounded by palmetto fields. Mike will be remembered for his significant contributions to the community he served for nearly three decades as the Mayor of Gulfport, the longest serving Mayor of Pinellas County at the time. Mayor Mike touched so many lives through his selfless service to his family, the State of Florida, DOT, the Florida League of Cities, and the city of Gulfport. Many people say he was instrumental in Gulfport's evolution as a tourist destination that ignited in the 1990s. Mayor Mike was an advocate for youth and empowering them with positive activities and safe spaces within the community. His dedication was memorialized with the Michael J. Yakes Recreation Center when he retired. He is survived by his sons, daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his brother, Jay; and sisters, Dianne and Barbara. His family is comforted knowing he has been reunited with their mother to rest peacefully.