Mike was born October, 17, 1947, In Princeton, Indiana, but his family got him to Texas as soon as they could! He started school in Gainesville, TX, and his family lived several places before moving to Wichita Falls in 1959.

Mike attended Rider High School until the last semester of his Senior year.  His family moved to Hobbs, NM, and he graduated there in 1965.  Mike attended NM Jr. College and New Mexico State University.

He worked in the Permian Basin oil fields, in the Lansing, MI, Oldsmobile plant (where his grandfather, uncle and cousins worked), then as Senior Field Engineering Supervisor for Camco Trading Corporation, based in Singapore where he lived and worked for five years. While working for Camco he was able to travel to many countries all over the world. A sports lover, he played softball and coached little league football and was a certified football referee before moving to Terlingua, Texas, in 1992. In Terlingua he worked with one of his best friends from college, who owned and operated the Study Butte Store. He also managed the café at the Big Bend Motor Inn before retiring. In 2000 he was on the Census Team for Brewster County.

Mike passed from this life on, July 27, 2020, at the age of 72 in Dallas, from heart and respiratory problems, at the home of his college roommate’s widow.

Mike is survived by his brother, Bruce of Denver, CO (Rider ’63), and a niece and nephew, also of Denver. He was preceded in death by his best friends David Curlee (college roommate), Ringo Smith of Terlingua, and Dr. Don Johnston (Rider ’65).  Mike’s ashes will be scattered over his property in Terlingua and some of his favorite places in Big Bend National Park.  No service is planned.

(Many thanks to Sheryl Curlee for this obituary.)