I often think of Mike as well. He was a very kind friend and I remember all the good times we had together!

I simply can't believe it's been 5 years since we lost Mike. Surreal. I think of Mike often, and so wish he was still with us. Sending lots of love to Carol and the kids. Miss you Mike...

Five years. It does not seem possible that 5 years have passed since we lost Mike. The part of our hearts that still ache to have him back does not seem to lessen. Mike was truly one to emulate! His kindness, his patience, his caring and his love for nature and everything he stood for. As his parents, we feel so blessed to have had him in our lives. So, Miguelito, we love you forever. Mom, Dad, Jamie and Bracken

It feels like yesterday when Mike passed away. We had such great memories over the years. Such a wonderful person to be around. His passion for life was amazing

My mind often wonders back to those childhood days when a young boy from phoenix move into town, he had a cool BMX bike and he could ride that bike pretty dang well, summer day of riding dirt tracks
Where great and than we started driving and wow! Now we could go
Fuming , sleep overs, dragging main, the best of memories happy birthday Mike

Happy Birthday, wish you were here.

Some people look forward to an afterlife so they can see loved ones again. Being your parents, we see you every day of our lives. I see you at every phase of your life from the day you were born. So many amazing memories and we will miss you every day of our lives. So incredibly proud of the person you were. We love you so much.
Mom and Dad

Happy 61st, Mike. Our Birthday wish to you, is that there is an afterworld, where you are doing those things you loved. We think of you and your family often. Our hope is that all that were close to you can remember the best of times with you, not just the tragedy that took your life. We hold our memories dear and are thankful for having you in them. Sail on!

Miss you buddy. Was on the water today - definitely thought about you.

There will never be a day Mike is not remembered. I remember him from the day of his birth, through every day he was with us. I remember him covered with mud after moto-cross racing, with his friend, Tim, as they were trying to breed their snakes, to his hating math, wondering why it was necessary. I am so grateful for those memories, they will always be a huge part of our lives. We remember him with love for the kind and wonderful man he was. We are so very proud to be his parents. We love you so much, Mike. Always have, always will... Mom and Randy.

p.s. Yes, I changed my birthday. We lost you the first week of October, the same week as my birthday. Never feel much like celebrating that week, so I think I will have my birthday some other time. Will always miss you..

Mom changed her Birthday so it's no longer in October. We miss you Mike.

Another birthday, Mike. The big 60. Hard to believe it has been that many years since the day of your birth, harder yet to imagine the years keep going by without you. Again, there is never a day you are not in our thoughts and hearts. We were so blessed to have you as a son. You were one of the finest people we know and as always, we are so very proud to call you ours. Along with that cold beverage in Hawaii with Doug, we wish you an ice cream pie, coffee ice cream, hot fudge topping with lots of whipped cream! We will always love you, Mom, Randy, Jamie and Bracken

Think of you often, Mike. Wish we were celebrating your Birthday with a cold beverage in Hawai'i...

Happy birthday!

Still think of you Mike - miss you buddy.

We still think of you Mike, and always will. All it takes is seeing some windsurfers frolicking in the water, or an old Corvette - like the one you had back in Woodinville decades ago. Miss your kind, intelligent way.

Dear Mike, Another year without you in our lives. Each day gets a little easier and more of the great memories come to surface. We were so blessed to have you for 56 years. What a gift. I remember the day you were born like yesterday and will never forget the joy you brought to our lives. We will love you forever and beyond.
Love, Mom and Dad

Another year without you in our lives, Mike. There is not a day we don't think of you, and miss you. You are always in our hearts and we love you so much. We are so grateful to have had you in our life.
Mom and Randy

Dear Carol,
We think about you, Mike, and your family often. Its hard to think about Mike not being with you.

Thank you to you and Mike for being so wonderful about staying in touch over the years. It means and matters a lot.

Affectionately,
Richard & Polly

Happy Birthday Miguel !!
Miss seeing you at Leds, IV, Jalama, Maui, la Ventana, and your annual Christmas Party.
Everyone knows you were a good man. Rest well, you deserve it.
All our best to your Family & Friends,
The Karry Clan

Dear Mike, Another birthday. Today you would have been 58, so hard to believe. We miss you and think of you every day. We take some comfort in knowing you will never get any older and you will never suffer some of the indignities of old age. You will never have Alzheimer's, you will never have cancer, and, you will not spend your last years in an assisted care center. You were a vibrant, healthy man who shared your wisdom and kindness with everyone who knew you. We are so grateful to have had you in our life.

I have an understanding of what people mean when they say, "you will see him again", because as your mother, I see you everyday. I can see you the day you were born, your first smile, your young years in school and with friends, each event in your life, your challenges and your successes (of which there were many). I see you the last time I saw you at our reunion in late August, shortly before you were taken from us.

The heartache never goes away and there are not enough tears, but the memories of all the good times are helping. Our memories of you are love, kindness, caring, honesty, forgiveness and an absolute compassion for everyone. You were truly a man to be proud of and we are so very grateful to have had you as a son. We love you, Mike. We will always love you and we will always miss you.

Randy, Mom, Jamie and Bracken

Dear Mike,

It has been a year since you left our lives. There has not been one day that we have not thought of you, or remembered what joy you brought to our lives. As your mother, I can still see your face the day you were born, when you were two, five, fourteen, and every day through your adulthood. These are memories I will always cherish.

There are times when I think of you, it takes my breath away to think of you being gone, but there are other days when I have to tell myself that you will never change. You will never suffer cancer, or Alzheimers. You will never have dementia, or see your body lose it's strength. You will never be in an assisted living center, and you will never grow old.

We will miss you every day we live but we will have happy memories of the time we had you, and comfort in knowing you were doing what you wanted when you were taken. I think one day, we might be able to look at this beautiful memorial page without crying, but not quite yet. The tributes here are a testament to the kind of person you were. You were the most kind, forgiving, non-judgmental and honest person we know.

We will always love you, Mike.
Randy, Mom, Jamie and Bracken

Remembering Mike with you on his birthday each in our own way, with treasured memories... wishing you comfort & peace.

Happy Birthday, Mike.  Thinking of your ice cream pie, coffee and chocolate ice cream with fudge topping you loved on your birthday.
We will always miss you, but are so grateful for the joy your brought to our lives, and to those who knew you. There will never be a day we don't think of you. We love you so much.
Mom, Dad, Jamie and Bracken

As Mike's parents, we want to express sincere thanks to everyone who has left a tribute, sent a note, a prayer or fond remembrance of our son. It is a comfort to read the many tributes from so many friends and family. Mike truly was a special person and we will miss him and love him forever. But, it makes our grief easier to bear knowing how many lives he touched in such a positive way. We feel blessed to have had him, and, we appreciate all of you who have reinforced our knowledge that he truly was the son we raised him to be. Kind, honest, gentle, forgiving and caring. He was indeed the best of the best and we are lucky to have had him in our lives. Thank you all so very much.

It has been 31 years since I spoke with Mike. I first got to know him as my good friend Sunil's housemate, when we were all new at Microsoft, straight out of college. One of the nicest guys that I have ever met, to this day. Someone who leaves an impression, in his own, gentle, positive way. The way things are today, Mike has left us too soon. We need him, and others like him, to remind us that there is still a lot of good in this world. That we all need to stay positive, and hopeful, and we must wish only the best for others. To his family and close friends, extremely sorry to hear that Mike has left us. My heartfelt condolences.

Shocked to hear this news. I knew Mike from Windsurfing Tour events over the years, he was such a kind, positive guy. My heart goes out to his loved ones.

I found out about Mike yesterday from the Shavliks. Mike was a great friend, team-mate, apartment-mate and one of the warmest human beings I have known. The news yesterday brought back a rush of memories of the good times we had together both at work in Microsoft and outside.
Mike was always helpful, not just to people he knew well but to many of my friends he barely knew. A genuine person to the core. I feel shocked and sad for his family. Mike will be missed.

A true gentleman. And a wonderful windsurfing competitor and companion. So sad.

Mike you will be truly missed. I have so many wonderful memories of chats and times sailing with you in San Carlos, Maui and Oregon. An amazing guy all around. I will cherish our memories together. RIP my friend. xo

Mike, you truly are one of the very best people I have ever known. I remember when I met you shortly after you & Carol started dating, and I loved you from that moment on. I treasure all the times I got to spend with you & Carol, and will never forget many years ago, sitting at your kitchen table having breakfast together. I was sharing about some tough things going on in my life, and you said all the right things, and I have carried your words with me ever since.
Very few people share your special attributes...and this world will never be the same without you. I do know that we can all make you proud by carrying on those attributes, and trying to live our lives as you lived.

We just found about Mike, and I am spending the day playing the old school Blues and Pink Floyd CDs I bought with Mike when we went CD hunting on Microsoft coding breaks back in the '80s, right after a burrito at the Crossroads Mall.  You were such a great friend and I hope you got to watch the Cougars beat the Badgers!
All our thoughts are with Carol and family.

This news has finally weaved its way to Minnesota where Mark and I sat sad and struck with so many wonderful memories of Mike and you from those days in Seattle. We are truly heart broken.

Mike was such a nice and friendly guy. We shared some epic sessions windsurfing in Baja and he always had a smile when he was sailing. A true ambassador for the sport. RIP.

I had some great times with Mike. Watching him improve on his waveriding skills and seeing the stoke in his eyes after every session. He will be missed greatly, but his kindness and example of how we should live will always be there. He was one of the nicest guys around, an inspiration to all of us. Thanks Mike..... RIP

I was truly shocked at the news of Mike’s passing. Mike and I met during our very first wave sailing competitions in San Carlos. A couple of ‘mature’ guys that shared a passion for windsurfing and a determination to get through the event. We had an immediate connection and supported each other as we moved through the heats. At the end of the competition, after most of the competitors had left, the swell and wind picked up and Mike, Ian Stokes and I sailed down to the Chile bowl and sailed wave after wave, just the 3 of us. We vowed not to stop until our plane flew into camp to take us home. One of the best memories of my life that I will continue to cherish. Let’s do it again in our next life Mike!

A memorial for Mike will be held at Ho'okipa Beach Park on Maui on Sunday, October 28th at 5pm. This is the same day as the opening for the Aloha Classic.

The "Celebration of Life" yesterday, was a wonderful gathering of folks from all facets of Mike's life...
https://surfingsports.com/index.php/2021/06/13/mike-colee/

Password: BeLikeMike

There is a vid clip from the paddle out and other images from on the beach throughout the years...

Warm winds...good waves...and, strong strokes to you my friend...

Mike was a true friend at Microsoft. Though I joined much later, he welcomed me warmly as a friend and helped me adapt to a new city and environment. He was always there with a smile, laugh, and positive attitude. I will forever remember the cycling adventures together. I'm glad I was able to visit him once in Santa Barbara, and sad that I can never do so again. The world needs more people like Mike, not fewer. So many will miss him.

Carol, Kevin and Kelly,
What a fantastic tribute to Mike at Hope Ranch Beach this morning. A fantastic, unique and special individual who left a positive impact on all who had contact with him.
May God Bless each of you in your lives.

I had the privilege of getting to know Mike as a dad as his daughter Kelly was in my classroom at Vieja Valley. We’d often swap bike and family travel stories. Mike had a way of being completely present and supportive of his own kids, our classroom and our larger school community. He was one of those parents who would show up often — when asked or when he simply saw the need. Both Mike and Carol were incredibly generous with their time, ideas and funds. His obituary has been on our Vieja Valley staff table, and over and over again folks are sharing stories of kindness and gratitude about Mike and Carol. It is hard to understand a life ending so young but amazing to see all the love and adventure he packed into his well-lived life.

The line from "For a Dancer" by Jackson Brown comes to mind: "I must have thought you'd always be around". We were always making plans to do a Baja trip or go foil kiting at Ledbetter, but now it's never going to happen. I'll miss Mike on Thursdays at Sharkeez and the plans we made.

Mike was such a beautiful person. A gentle, passionate soul. So kind and generous and inclusive. He was always attentive and sensitive to other people. I miss him very much and his memory and example will live on in me. All my love and deep condolences to you, Carol, and family.

We met the Colee family, day 1 at Vieja Valley Elementary School. I believe our daughter and Kevin were in the same kindergarten class. I can still remember being a classroom parent volunteer with Mike. He did not hesitate to sit in a little chair next to Kevin and with the other students and myself also gathered around the table we assisted with the creative activity of the day! He was a very involved parent at school, as was Carol. I recall Mike coordinated a group of parents to go door to door to try to get people to vote for school funding. He did this by having us all meet on a Sunday morning at the pancake house to get organized before we canvased the neighborhood.
Mike was and maybe is "an angel among men", on several occasions he was there to assist me. Our daughter had brownie meetings after school in the kindergarten yard. One week, I thought she had a meeting and would be driven home by her leader who lived by us. Unfortunately, there wasn't a brownie meeting that week, but fortunately, Mike was at the school with a boyscout or soccer practice and my daughter, unable to call me, found Mike who safely brought her home. Another time, flash forward to just a few months ago, I was pumping hydrogen into our hydrogen fuel cell car, Myrai. Mike seeing me, strolls over after filling up with gas. He's interested in the hydrogen car, well, it was also convenient for me, because I was having difficulty disengaging the hose pump from the car and it needed a little more muscle strength then I had at the time.
When our kids were in probably 5th grade, we went on a family trip together to Squaw Valley to ski and ice skate. It was such a joy to have Mike, an excellent downhill skier, take the kids down the ski runs. He had a way of relaxing into it and it was a joy for all of us to follow.
I want to extend our sincerely sympathy to Carol, Kelly and Kevin and the Colee family. Ivor, Jasmine and I would love to be with you on Saturday to celebrate Mikes life, but unfortunately we are all out of town at this time. We will be holding you in our hearts and in our minds and hope that these stories I've shared bring back fond memories for you, that in some way ease the pain of loss as time goes by.

I am just devastated. Carol, I am so sorry for your loss. Mike was a great friend and I just can't get my head around the fact that he is gone. He was like a rock in that you always knew there was this great person out there in SB that you could count on for a place to stay, a smile, a laugh, a windsurfing story. I am off to Maui next week where I first met Mike and it will never be the same without him. I will really miss him.
Ben

Dear Carol, Kevin and Kelly, Mike was an amazing father, friend, leader, and influence in our lives. We always wished for and counted on him to help out at school, field trips, sports, cub scouts, overnight trips and the PTA. Remember, he deservedly received an honorary service award from Vieja Valley School. He was my savior on many kid outings where I was losing my patience and control of a group of fun-loving boys. He was the kindhearted, fun, happy and extremely calm presence that treated each child with respect. I learned a lot from him and will always remember his genuine smile and giving self. Thank you for sharing him with a grieving community.

Mike had so many interesting and diversified interests. Unlike so many people he didn’t just think about them or talk about them but actually became fully engaged in them. The last time we saw him he was constructing a hydrofoil windsurfing board and he couldn’t wait to finish it so that he could test it out. He was very kind to our children and helpful to our daughter when she started working at MS. He was a great husband and devoted to his children. He loved his family and always put them first. I think he will be missed by everyone who knew him.
Karen & John York

Mike had a "motor". Riding a bicycle up Old San Marcos Road (steep and 3 miles long) was a favorite thing of his to do. For the last 10 years or so a small group of random cyclists would meet at the bottom of the hill every Thursday at noon, and Mike was one of the regulars.
These were not quite your normal tour around type-cyclists, but hardcore pain specialists. We’d gather at the bottom with a brief greeting, and then proceed to hammer to the top as hard as we could for about 15 to 20 minutes.
In the thick of the action Mike was a 15:39 guy, and that is fast, and you need a motor for that. We all know and appreciate that Mike was a kind, quiet, calm person. But on his custom carbon bike (he made his own modifications), all the way up that hill, on Thursdays at noon, he was anything but calm.
In fact, he was on fire. He started strong, and then for 15 minutes burned hard and finished stronger. Then at the top it was all over. The sweaty face, soft smile and a “nice job” of encouragement for those that were slower as we rode up a minute or two later. So, this was week after week, and year after year - kind of amazing!
Most of the crew would head back down the hill after a minute or two of chatting, then just a few (Mike almost always) of us would ride up Painted Cave Road, another 3 mile steep road. This is where I really got to know Mike. We’d discuss everything, politics, news, bike racing, and sometimes our performances. Mike was not super competitive, except with himself.
He always pushed himself to achieve his full potential. It was a raw and honest expectation, and sometimes he achieved it and sometimes not. Whether it was a fast day or a slower day, he always seemed OK with it.  Kind of like a peaceful warrior.
Anyway, I loved that attitude, and now that he won’t be joining us on Thursdays at noon, I reflect on the good times, feel honored to have known him, and lucky to have had so much fun hanging out with this wonderful guy.

The world has lost a special soul. Mike was so well thought of by everyone who knew him and he will be sorely missed. He was a kind, giving and gentle man with a zest for life and adventure and a deep love for his family. My heart goes out to Carol, Kelly and Kevin and you have my very sincere and heartfelt sympathy in this most difficult of times.

Kevin & Kelly your dad was exceptional, over and above and such a support & example in your Vieja Valley days. We could always count on him to bring great thought and knowledge which he shared freely. His smile and love for your mom was sparkling and I feel blessed to have known such a wonderful Dad, Husband and community carer! My prayers are with you all.