Michael James Wahl

Born in January of 1959 in Seguin, TX to parents Louis and Norma (Elbel) Wahl, Michael was sibling to his big brother, Louis ‘Butch’ (deceased), and his older sister, Patsy.

Michael didn’t stray too far from home when he moved to Austin the summer of 1977 to pursue a higher education from The University of Texas at Austin. It was at UT, in his Calculus I class, that he met his beloved, late wife Donna. She liked to joke that their love was the only thing either of them got out of the class. They married in 1981 at the University United Methodist Church on the UT campus and were happily together for 40 years.

Michael always said he “played with dirt” for a living. As Quality Control Manager, he served as an Engineering Specialist for Rodriguez Engineering for 9 years, testing soil and other materials to ensure proper safety measures.This meticulousness carried into his hobbies as well.

His love of trains was a life-long affair, and in the last few years he finally got a “train room” to build his own model set and store his extensive memorabilia collection. He was also an avid football fan, cheering on the UT Longhorns at DKR, attending every game he could of his local Lake Travis High School Cavaliers, and even traveling to the Grey Cup for the Canadian Football League in Ottawa in 2016.

Michael absolutely loved food, but more importantly, he loved sharing his experiences around the table with others. He went on many Texas BBQ adventures with his children, and once he even received free crepes for life… with a price of only one minor head injury. He loved to tell that story, and many others, with a few dad jokes sprinkled in. His humor, selflessness, and thoughtfulness made others proud to be at his table.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Meredith and Colin Lymer, son and daughter-in-law Jordon and Katelyn Wahl, and his grandchildren Keegan and Leona Lymer. In addition to his children, he is mourned by his sister, Patsy Metzner, and ‘spicy potato’ chihuahua, Landry.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to the Donna Wahl Memorial Scholarship fund at Lake Travis Education Foundation.

A funeral service for Michael will be held Friday, December 2, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749. A graveside service will occur Friday, December 2, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Park, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749. A visitation will occur Friday, December 2, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenforestoaks.com for the Wahl family.