August 12, 1970 – April 29, 2026

Mike’s life started in Dearborn, Michigan. His childhood was filled with riding dirt bikes and fishing at the cottage up north and practicing karate. In high school he was the self proclaimed instigator amongst his group of friends. He was always in the middle of a large group of friends, which is a pattern he continued throughout his life. Mike worked as a blackjack dealer as he was earning his Bachelors of Science at Central Michigan University. On a summer break he learned to whitewater kayak by going to the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina and Georgia to learn from the members of the US Olympic Kayak Team that were training there. His love of skiing at Winter Park brought him to Colorado in his late 20’s. He embraced the ski bum life in Summit County and sold real estate to pay the rent. He also continued the career path of Network Development Contractor that he started in Michigan and bought a home in Georgetown.
The next 25 years in Colorado were filled with camping, mountain biking, dirt biking, skiing and snowmobiling with an ever expanding group of friends. And somewhere in there, he was also surfing in Costa Rica, becoming a certified yoga instructor and brewing the best cup of espresso. Anything Mike did he was exceptional at. So when Mike was diagnosed with cancer about three years ago, he approached it in the same manner. He was diligent in exploring treatments and he traveled to Spain for treatments not yet available in the US. He volunteered to be a test person for the same treatments in the US in hopes he could help others. Mike was a great example of living life to the fullest with gratitude and courage and never a complaint. He kept doing the things he loved to the very last day. In the weeks before he passed he was grooming his doodle, cooking Iberico Pork and enjoying nachos and churros at Denver Nuggets basketball games.
Mike, you were more than the instigator, you were the glue that held us all together. We love your generosity, unwavering courage and sense of humor. To say you will be missed is a huge understatement. See you on the other side!
Mike is preceded in death by his dad Dave and dogs Amber, Rags and Maggie. He is survived by his mom Marg, his dog Teddy Bear and a huge group of long time friends.
Special thanks to the nursing staff at Rocky Mtn Cancer Center in Lakewood for being the bright spot in Mike’s life these last few years.