Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Mike has been a dear friend of our family since the early ’60s. I met him through my brother Joe. He was quirky in a fun way with a silly sense of humor. We teased him like we would any family member and always considered him part of the family. He also could dish out the teasing back at us….making it even more fun. I remember him wanting to become a cop and was willing to go to the ends of the earth to do whatever it took. One time he said to me, let’s go to California so I can see what I need to do. I thought….What? Go to California??? Why not just make a phone call? His response was something like….What fun would that be?... and so he offered to take me along for company. I was glad to be there for him, for company and moral support to encourage him to pursue his dream. I don’t recall all the details of that trip, but it’s safe to say he didn’t give up on his dream. Mike was always there for me, even if we were on opposite sides of the United States. He came to every major event in my life—wedding, 2 graduations and it would be nothing for him to jump on a plane to surprise me. He was full of surprises! He would send me a dozen roses telling me loves me…..that’s even after I was married. Lucky for me, my husband liked Mike too and knew he was a good guy that just wanted to brighten my day. Just a couple of weeks ago my brother told me that Mike was planning on surprising me in California….Joe (my brother) said that the surprise would be on him because I just moved to North Carolina. I was hoping that he was going to show up any day now. I’m so sad that we won’t share any more silly memories and major milestones. I even thought someday he would move closer, either to California or North Carolina. For now, I’ll treasure those precious memories and look forward to meeting him in the afterlife. Mike, you were a precious friend that I am so thankful to have had in my life. I will never forget you, your silliness, your generosity, your love.
