Michael Roy Oakes Sr.

Michael R. Oakes Sr, beloved father, and grandfather, passed away at his home in Peoria, Arizona, on Tuesday, October 7, 2024, at the age of 80. Mike was born on March 23, 1944, in Salamanca, New York.

He attended Pine Valley Central School in South Dayton, New York, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

Mike served in the U.S. Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis and in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Air Force in 1982 as a C5 Flight Engineer. He then moved his family to Chandler, Arizona, where he worked for Honeywell until his retirement in 2006. He was a member of the American Legion Post 35 and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7401, both in Chandler.

He is survived by three daughters; Kathy Floyd (Dave) of Peoria, Arizona, Becky Gordon (Steven) of Tempe, Arizona, and Jackie Guardiola of Converse, Texas; seven grandchildren: Traci, Josh, Matt, Nicholas, Marley, Marrissa and Marteen: twelve great-grandchildren; Addison, Easton, Everett, Cody, Alayna, Noah, Tavren, Capri, Skyler, Levi, Mathew and Clark; a sister; Mabel Hadley (Niles) of Conewango Valley, New York; and many nieces and nephews.

Mike’s generosity and sense of humor will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. His legacy of profound stubbornness and an immense capacity for love will live on through his children and grandchildren. Please raise a Miller Lite in his honor and root for his Buffalo Bills, Phoenix Suns, and any NASCAR driver in a Ford.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years Karen F. Ellis Oakes, his parents, Lyle F. and Alma C. Milks Oakes, of Kennedy, New York, two brothers: Kenneth L. Oakes of Sinclairville, New York, and Lloyd K. Oakes of Kennedy, New York; a sister, Eleanor E. Oakes Allnatt of Cherry Creek, New York, a son Michael R. Oakes Jr. of Falconer, New York, grandsons Nathaniel Elijah Gordon of Maricopa, Arizona and Carson Road Guardiola of El Paso, Texas, and nephews Jeffrey Oakes, Lloyd Oakes Jr., Randy Allnatt, Kevin Oakes and Dennis Hadley.

Funeral service and burial will be at Valley of The Sun Mortuary and Cemetery in Chandler, Arizona beginning at 9:00am.