One is very lucky to have a handful of true friends in life, and Michael was one of those for me. We attended the same grammar school, the same high school, the same college, and experienced the ups and downs of all those bitter-sweet young-adult development years together. We both served as officers in the military. We both had the good fortune to marry loving and patient partners who were also incredibly dedicated mothers. Not surprisingly, our children grew up to have those strong values we inherited and believed in strongly.
We both worked in corporate America and through the many years since we always stayed close, getting together as often as our schedules permitted. Often just the two of us just got together to share a meal and discuss how to best approach those common issues we all had: relationships, career and work/life balancing, and, of course, parenting
If I were asked to share what I felt were his his best qualities, first among many would definitely be his integrity, followed by dedication to family and his strong determination and grit to see the projects he was passionate about through to the end. He spoke to me often of his teaching experiences, and it seemed nothing gave him more satisfaction than to help unsure students to develop confidence in their abilities and to guide them in finding the best path to their career goals. Dr. Michael often told me that he considered that part of the work experience to be the most satisfying for him..
Let's also never forget his incredible sense humor, which always seemed to pierce through even the darkest of situations to make you smile.
I will miss him dearly and remember him always.
May he rest in peace.