Michael Joseph Sella

Mike Sella of Tualatin — an anesthesia technician and U.S. Navy veteran remembered for his kind heart and loyal devotion to family and friends — died unexpectedly on March 7 from natural causes. He was 37.

Mike was born in Utica, N.Y., and attended schools there and, while his mother Stephanie pursued a master's degree, in Corvallis, Oregon. He graduated in 2005 from Proctor High School in Utica, where he was captain of the football team and a member of the swim/dive team.

He attended State University of New York, Brockport, in 2005-06. During his 2007-16 Navy service, he trained as a hospital corpsman at the Jacksonville Naval Hospital in Jacksonville. served in Kuwait in 2009 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and was later stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and Naval Medical Center in San Diego.

While in Florida, he met Myra Taylor, who would become his partner of 17 years. Their son, Chris, was born in June 2009.

Mike was promoted to Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer Second Class in May 2012. Among other honors, he received a Navy Achievement Medal for his exceptional case management for 80 wounded warriors from December 2013 to March 2016 in San Diego.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he returned to Oregon, living in Sherwood and Tualatin, and pursuing studies at George Fox University in Newberg and at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, while also working as an Amazon delivery driver.

He earned an associate degree in anesthesia technology from Chemeketa Community College in June 2022. He received his certification from the American Society of Anesthesia Technologists & Technicians in July 2022.

He worked as an anesthesia technologist at St. Vincent's Hospital in Beaverton and Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, and as a patient transfer technician at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.

Survivors, in addition to his partner Myra Taylor and son Chris are: Chris' half-brothers Johathan (Jon) and Cameron; and Myra's mother Lisa, all of Tualatin; brother Matt Adamson of Tigard; grandmother Jacqueline Grubb of Corvallis; aunts Elizabeth Grubb of Corvallis, Margaret Grubb of Bend, and Kathleen Holder of Davis, CA; uncle, Richard Grubb of Corvallis, nephew Grant Adamson of Tigard; and cousins Ali and Kalysta Holder of Denver, and many relatives on the East Coast.

Mike's mother, Stephanie Bearse, died in 2015; and his sister, Sarah Adamson, in 2022.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, March 23, at Virgil T Golden Funeral Services in Salem. Memorial donations may be made to Pancreatic Action Network.