Michael Cyrus Shafai

Michael Cyrus Shafai, 47 of Manitou Springs, devoted husband, father, community leader and avid runner, passed away October 18, 2017. His passion for life and pursuit of adventure was an inspiration to all who knew him. His spirit will be carried on by his two children Alexandra (18) and Benjamin (15), his wife Stephanie Wurtz, as well as his parents, Touraj Shafai and Cathy Endress and siblings, John, Susie, Roxana, and Sepehr.

Mike was a dedicated father who shared his passion for life, strong work ethic, self-discipline and humility with his children. His was a constant support at their academic and extra-curricular activities, including dance, tennis, baseball, and school work, while growing a successful business and balancing commitments to a wealth of community organizations and training for numerous athletic pursuits. Mike’s lasting impact on his children, friends and members of the community can be directly attributed to positive attitude and passion for life. He never missed an opportunity to pour wisdom into those he loved, a constant source of encouragement and inspiration, reminding them that “the only thing we can control is our attitude.”

Mike found love, beauty and an unparalleled passion for running with his wife, Stephanie. The couple exchanged vows in the beautiful mountains of Crested Butte on June 16, 2014, and everyday thereafter has been an adventure filled with love and support. Their shared passion for the outdoors, travel and physical activity allowed them to share some of their most memorable moments, from summiting 14ers to biking across Italy. Those who love Mike know he loves spreadsheets; Mike created their “Marriage Miles” list, tracking the miles shared together since their wedding day. They ran 5,412 miles, mountain biked 1,863, road cycled 2,295 miles and swam 46 miles over the course of their marriage. The two celebrated their marriage with their ever-growing community of family and friends in Sept., 2014, with a day full of running, biking, food, and dancing. A perfect couple, they dared to live life, traveling, racing, training together. One was never far from the other. And anyone who has experienced the heart-thumping beat of love could see Mike’s absolute devotion to his wife.

Mike was an avid chef, cooking at home from scratch, famous for his enchiladas, homemade salsa, and “Shafai Chicken.” The couple hosted countless post-run brunches, spur-of-the-moment dinner parties, and had an “our door is always open” policy at their Manitou Springs home. A wine connoisseur, he built an in-home wine cellar and was always happy to open and share a good bottle with friends. “Life’s too short to drink bad wine,” he said.

Mike was a community leader, serving on the nonprofit boards of the Pikes Peak Road Runners and Sparkling Life. He co-directed the PPRR Winter Series for ten years with his friend and business partner John Gardner, stepping down in 2017. In addition, Mike was also past president of the Interquest Rotary Club, was honored with the Rotarian of the Year award and chaired the Rotary Champions program for a decade. He founded the Sunrise Striders running group. He spent 15 years fostering active lifestyles in the area's great outdoors, completing more than 50 marathons and four Ironman triathlons. Another hobby was reading, somehow squeezing in time to finish more than 30 books in 2016 alone. More recently, he ventured into artistic pursuits, with painting classes and committed to completing one drawing every night in the sketchbook his kids gave him.

Mike’s passion for people and skills with numbers served him well as the Vice President of Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley. He considered each client a dear friend, and loved helping people establish long-term stability across their financial portfolio while creating lifelong friendships, working with many families over multiple generations. Mike built strong relationships with his clients and peers, including his business partners and close personal friends John Gardner, Scott Perry, and Jeff Mohrmann.

Mike surrounded himself with the people he loved, and packed so much life into his 47 years. He called himself a man of action and truly lived his mantra “make the most of every moment.” He poured his passion for life into those closest to him. Mike was taken from us too soon, but he leaves a legacy that will continue to inspire.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to:

Pikes Peak Road Runners

www.pprrun.org

Celebrations for Michael Shafai: Thursday Oct. 26, 2017

Sunrise Striders Run: 6 a.m.

Memorial Park (Manitou Springs)

Iron Mountain Loop (6 miles)

502 Manitou Avenue

Manitou Springs, CO 80829

Celebration of Life: 11 a.m.

Shove Memorial Chapel (Colorado College)

1010 N. Nevada Avenue

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Open house reception: 5-8 p.m.

Plaza of the Rockies

111 S. Tejon St.,Ste 200

(second floor of NORTH Tower)FOLLOW SIGNS

Please park in the underground garage of the Plaza of the Rockies, parking will be complementary. Beverages provided, please consider bringing a dish and favorite story about Mike to share.