April 26, 2019 — Earlier this evening, surrounded by family and loved ones, this giant of a man, Michael Streit -- my love, my partner, my champion – lost his valiant, year-long battle with colon cancer at the age of 46. Words cannot express the enormity of his loss for me and countless others he touched with his humor, wit, creative genius, and huge heart. Mike remained hopeful and optimistic up until he left our physical world to join a greater cause. I am thankful his pain and suffering are now over, and I am humbled and honored to have spent the last 12 years in love with my big bear. Mike challenged me, loved me, supported me; all which made me a better man. I know his spirit carries on through his creations and most importantly, through the people he loved. Remember him fondly as I will and laugh infectiously as Mike did, and live life most fully as Mike showed us all. Many thanks to the huge village of family and friends who aided in his care and to an incredible team of doctors, nurses, care providers from UCI, Hoag, City of Hope and Mayo Clinic.
Please feel free to share any pictures or fond memories you have about Mike using the tabs above or the buttons to the right.
If you would like to make a charitable donation in Mike's name, consider one of these below that were closest to his heart:
Love,
John
I always looked forward to my evening phone calls from Mike when he was heading home to pick up Mac or driving to and from the desert and I still find myself waiting for him to call. He would always ask "how are the O.P's"? I first met John and Mike when they asked Jonathan to come by for a drink at the home they had just purchased in Deepwell. I really did not want to go but I am so glad I did because Mike and I really bonded and he always made me smile and laughed at all my stories. His joy and love of life was contagious and he brought such happiness to me. I really enjoyed it when he asked me to come to the Ritz and help get things ready for the big opening, everything had to be done a certain way, but then he would smile and you felt like a kid .
I'm just surprised at how often I get this sadness come over me when I realize that Mike is gone. Mike was so talented and he had a special way about him that made most conversations end up in laughter. We will both miss him so much and love him forever.
Your special friend, Pierrette
Some people come into our lives and stay for a while... but there are some that quickly go and leave footprints in our heart and we are never ever quite the same …
Michael was one of those people.
I met Michael in December of 2016, when he hired me to work at the new store he was opening at The Ritz Carlton in Rancho Mirage. I loved working with him … I admired his energy, his passion, and his amazing creativity ! At first, Michael intimidated me ( and I am not easily intimidated ). He was so particular about how everything had to be, which I understood so well … a trait I am guilty of myself. It always amazed me when he would come to the store each Thursday and everything seemed to be in perfect order ( or so I thought ) as he would zero in on one thing that, in his mind, was turned too much to the left or too little to the right and he would then make a slight adjustment that actually made it more perfect ! He would just flash that devilish smile at me and I would just shake my head. I looked forward to his visits each week, even though he drove me crazy.
It didn’t take long for us to become friends. I remember early on he said to me one day … “Why don’t we go to the apparel mart in LA together” to which I replied “that would be great”. He responded “fabulous”, why don’t you drive to my house in Laguna and stay overnight and then we could drive to LA the next day”. Puzzled, I said … Why would I want to drive from Palm Springs to Laguna and stay at your house and then drive from there to LA when I can just drive from Palm springs to LA and meet you at The Mart, to which he replied “ because it would be FUN” !!!
Just listening to Michael laugh would make me laugh and listening to Michael make fun of me ( which he often did) would make us both laugh.
Michael touched my heart so much, that I always liked to think we had a special connection. I loved him, I adored him and was privileged to know him and be his friend … in my eyes, he was a gentle giant with charisma that was beyond !! He always called me his superstar, but know he thought all of us at the store were his superstars, each in our own way. When he got sick, I told him we were his angels and he loved that.
I will miss his laughter, his smile, his humor, out talks, him making fun of me and basically, everything about him – he was definitely extra special and his footprint will remain in my heart always and forever.
A candle that burns twice as bright, burns half as long…
Michael certainly was a very bright light in so many lives.
Rest in peace my dear friend.
Karen B
Mike and I met through an on-line dating app. We would message back and forth for a few weeks before actually meeting or speaking on the phone. When we did finally agree to have lunch in Laguna Beach where he was living at the time, he called me that afternoon and left a message confirming our lunch. His voice was very jolly and I thought this guy sounds really nice. Having had several nightmare dates from the on-line app, I was ready to throw in the towel but proceeded with this lunch in hopes of meeting a normal guy.
We met at what is now Nick's across from Hotel Laguna. I had lived in Laguna when I first moved to CA and knew my way around town. I arrived early and decided to walk around the village. As I rounded a corner a couple of blocks from the restaurant, I saw this guy at a distance walking toward me. I was pretty sure this was the Mike I was meeting for lunch. I had in my mind meeting at the restaurant as planned, not having a spontaneous meeting on the street. What if he was odd, a jerk, or something else. I suddenly got nervous and darted into a store that had two entrances on either side of the store. That way I could escape out the other entrance and scoot up to the restaurant and get myself situated as I had wanted to appear cool and very relaxed! LOL
Well, he saw me suddenly dart into the store and told me some years later that he thought to himself as he made his way to the restaurant, "what a flake, yet another loser from on-line dating apps, he probably won't even show up...". As he approached the restaurant, I was waiting outside acting real calm. He flashed his famous smile and BAM! I realized we had met years before at a friend's BBQ and had hung out afterwards with one of his best girl friends. I remember a spark from that time but I was not ready to date then, I was focused on my career and enjoyed being single.
Mike did not recognize me. You see my hair had gotten a bit grayer over the years between our meeting (which he told me a few dates later!). So we are enjoying the food and our conversation; it flowed like we had known each other for years. Realizing he did not seem to recall meeting at the BBQ, I finally said, "You know, we actually met several years ago at a BBQ". His big smile suddenly disappeared and he quickly excused himself to go to the restroom. I was crushed. I said to myself, "what a flake, yet another loser from on-line dating apps, he probably won't even come back..."!
In fact, he did come back and was grinning ear to ear. As he sat back down, he said he was sorry he jumped up so quickly, but he had to call that same best girl friend and let her know we had reconnected! And there began what would be the most amazing partnership, filled with constant laughter, countless adventures and most importantly, a deep and lasting love.
Love you forever Mikey!
