Michael Eugene Oakes
(January 16, 1962 - November 10, 2012)

Michael Eugene Oakes, 50, of Roanoke, passed away Saturday, November 10, 2012.

He was born in Roanoke, a son of the late Glenn E. and Virginia “Jeri” Anderson Oakes. Mike lived his early years in Salem and was a member of the Salem Baptist Church. He graduated from Salem High School, and especially enjoyed playing on the tennis team. He studied American Institute of Banking courses at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, and later moved to Birmingham, AL, where he worked for the Kirklin Clinic of the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation. His most recent position was manager of the Clinic’s customer service call center. Mike enjoyed golf, travel, the great outdoors and caring for his pets. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Lynette Oakes Howard of Birmingham.

A soft spoken and generous man, he will be greatly missed by his surviving sister, Barbara Oakes Chenault and her husband H. Lynn of Draper, VA; his niece, Jill Bain and her partner Larry Wilker of Roanoke; an uncle, Clifton Anderson and his wife Phyllis of Marion, VA; an aunt, Evelyn Anderson Gombash and her husband Joseph of Romeoville, IL, as well as several cousins.

Friends will gather to celebrate Mike’s life on Friday, November, 16, 2012 from 11AM to 1PM at John M. Oakey and Son Funeral Home in Salem. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the League for Animal Protection, PO Box 561, Fincastle, VA 24090 or by calling 540-473-3853. An online guest book is available for family and friends by visiting www.johnmoakey.com