I hope you celebrate Mikes birthday today Laurie and Trisha and families. If he were with you I can picture a bbq with Aunt Jeanne’s “ California cake”.

Today I remember playing on Grandmas front lawn in front of the tiny white house. Baseball with sticks, croquet and tag among the trees. We were also carted off to Sandy beach in an old station wagon with kids and towels everywhere. There we floated in the shallows while our parents made lunch in the sanddunes. All very precious memories! 

Mike was a part of the good memories of childhood and he will always be missed. Today I miss that shy smile of his❤️. Love to all

FROM AUNT JANETTE, TONY, AND DONNA  

OUR MEMORIES OF MICHAEL WOULD HAVE TO BEGIN, FROM AUNT JANETTE.  SHE REMEMBERS HIM AS A QUIET , SOFT SPOKEN BOY WITH A WONDERFUL SMILE, SO LIKE HIS FATHER'S.

TONY REMEMBERS THAT HIS LOVE OF HAWKS BROUGHT HIM TO OUR MOUNTAINS AND HILLSIDES OF SIMI.  HE HAS OFTEN THOUGHT OF MICHAEL WHEN LOOKING OUT OUR WINDOWS OR SITTING ON OUR DECK.  NOW WHEN HE SEES A HAWK FLY BY,  THE MEMORIES WILL BE SADDENED WITH REGRETS THAT HE DIDN'T MAKE AN EFFORT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM.

OUR HEARTFELT SYMPATHY GOES TO OUR LOVELY LAURIE AND TRICIA, AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES.

 " SURELY ANYONE WHO LOVED GOD'S CREATURES, AS MICHAEL DID, IS RESTING IN HEAVEN TODAY " 

LOVE ALWAYS, AUNT JANETTE, TONY, DONNA AND FAMILY

We are all very saddened by the passing of our cousin Michael.   We only met once in Windsor during your families cross county road trip sometime in the mid 1960's I think,  Our condolences to Tricia, Laurie and families.

Paul Brancaccio. 

Many of you will not know that before the Brancaccio family moved to California, they lived in Michigan and spent the summers in Ontario Canada. Mike's Mom was once Canadian and we knew her as a loved aunt and cherished friend.

However, when the family came to visit us in Ontario there was always cause for great celebrations and l remember Thanksgivings spent around a jumble of long tables with all of we children sitting at the " kids table". We played games on Grandma's lawn, rushed through the woods along cedar paths and build fires on the beach to roast hot dogs  after long afternoons of swimming and adventures. Mike was always shy but would seldom allow us to torment him ( one boy admidst many girls). He participated until his asthma got the better of him and he would join me on the sidelines ( asthma too).

Whenever we ventured to California for a family visit, Mike was always there to cart us around , to listen to the endless stories and make us feel welcome. Those events would never have been the same without him. He had a calming and warm personality that we all gravitated towards.He and the family came home for my wedding for which l will always be grateful.

So l am sending huge hugs to Laurie and Trisha and their families and need them to know that their sadness is shared. I loved and will miss Mike too!

This is short part of a story that my Mom and Mike's Aunt Barb ( passed away Aug 2010)  wrote about Mike and his love of wildlife.I know she would have wanted me to retell this and l am also very glad that l don't have to tell her that Mike is no longer with us. He was one of her favourite people and she had a warm spot in her heart for him always.

While hiking along a mountain trail, Mike found a hawk that was lying stunned beside the path. He picked it up , wrapped it in his jacket and brought it home. The hawk refused to eat even though Mike tempted it with worms, meat and anything else he could think of.Fearing it would die on him, Mike removed the jesses from the hawks feet, held the hawk out on his arm and said " GO". The hawk looked at him with wild hope in his eye, took off across the lawn, over the wall and away to the mountains.Mike was in grade eight at the nearby school and every day the hawk would fly over the schoolyard at recesss time and all the kids would rush about yelling ,"There's Michael's Hawk!!"

Mike, if you can hear us, we hope you are flying free with wings spread wide!