To the family of Mike; I am at the gym in midtown and went to the spin class room to ride. I noticed a photo tape to the mirror.  I begin to stare at the photo and recognized a familiar face I immediately started to cry and learn that Mike passed away. I got back on the bike like Mike would want me too and ride as fast as I could.  He would encourage me to keep going . It was always a happy time when Mike was around. He is our spin instructor now encouraging the entire class like he always did. I will remember him. God Bless Mile and his family. 

We lived down the street from Mike and anytime he walked by I would say how's it going and his response was always good!
I worked with his wife Lisa at Roseville Community Hospital for several years. 

I am so sad to hear of Mike’s passing. Another Cal Fit friend here. Mike always worked so hard at his work outs, challenging and encouraging those around him with friendly banter. We use to leave a radius around him in class known as “the splash zone” because man did he leave a lot of sweat around! We had inside jokes and memories. He was thoughtful- would bring people a treat on someone’s  birthday or bring something funny from a shared memory. He really enjoyed being with people. How happy I am to know that he knows Jesus. Of course! Makes sense! Until we meet again Mike. ❤️ Well done.

Mike, 

I remember my mom and I attended all those boot camp classes with you at Calfit years ago.  You were always so bubbly and trying to compete with me on my air jumping jacks.  We would see who could do the most in the air or how high we could jump.  If it wasn’t in class, I would see you in the lobby always saying hi to me.  You were always a ray of sunshine who loved exercising just as much as me!! Today, I did team ride in your honor!! I hope your enjoying a spin class up there or doing some air jacks!!  The gym family will never be the same without you…but I know you will be telling us to keep doing what you loved!! 

The news about Mike's passing hit really hard. Mike was a good friend and a person I enjoyed spending time with while working at Caltrans.  I admired him as a colleague because of his technical skills and willingness to share his vast knowledge, Mike was highly respected  in Caltrans bridge design community.  And I also admired him as a person, he was a congenial guy with strong moral principles and a good sense of humor.  Mike's set-confidence was inspiring as well, his bike rides cross country are a testament to that.  He will be dearly missed.
My sincere condolences to his wife Lisa and the rest of the Pope family.
Good bye my friend, you are in a better place now.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Pope Family for their tremendous loss. 

I came to know Mike in the Bridge Design Academy where he taught us Pres-stressed Concrete. I still remember his passion for sharing his knowledge by helping us individually to do the calculations and to draw the pre-stressing path for the example bridge. In fact, I carried that plot with me as I moved through different programs in Caltrans over the years.

I will always remember his big smile.   

-Surjit S Dhillon

Ken and I from Cal Fit days in spin  class have fond memories of this wonderful man. He was a kind gentle soul. 

Our condolences to his family. 

Mike,
I am really sorry and glad to hear that you are now working out  and riding your bike in a very special place.  

We met while working out at CalFit nine years ago. I truly appreciate our friendship from club buddy to normal friendship. You are one of a kind person, and your family and extended families must be very lucky to have you.

I am sure we will all missed you. Missed you buddy.  My deepest condolences to the Pope family and extended families.

Wai Chong

Lisa, Michael's wife, was in my women's bible study group for about 8 years, before my husband and I actually meet Michael.  We decided to invite the husbands to a barbecue.  From the first time we meet Michael, he was very comfortable to be around.  He made sure to talk with everyone.  We loved hearing about his adventures on his bike.  3 times across the U.S. WOW! 
Michael loved being outdoors, in nature.  We also have a great memory of our camping trip to Lindsey Lakes.  He was in his element there.  He could always out hike everyone, but could just hang out at the campfire and tell stories.
Michael was looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren, and taking up fishing. 
I wish we would have had more time to get to know this amazing 
person, Michael.

To the family of Mike Pope,

I'm sincerely sorry for your loss. I knew Mike from work. I worked with him for a very long time. I was sad, but happy for him at the same time, to see him retire.  "His Eminence" as I called him, was very good and kind and I'm truly saddened by his passing. 

May the Lord give your family strength and comfort during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Rosa St. Andre

I first met Mike when he was a bright young engineer in Branch 6.  He was the go-to instructor for prestressed concrete at the Bridge Design Academy.  He was a natural leader, a dynamic instructor and the perfect choice to enthuse other young engineers.  
It was my great fortune to work alongside Mike for several decades and to bear witness to how he served others, especially when it came to paying it forward to the next generation.   How very blessed we all have been to have had the Pope in our lives.


Mike was a bright light in a dark world. I still hesitate to believe that this is real. I have so many fond memories. Mike went full out in whatever he did. He was the eternal optimist. A hard worker. A good friend. Mike was my mentor. I attribute much of who I am professionally to his guidance and encouragement. There are others who had more time with him outside of work than myself. However, I got to spend a good amount with him on bikes, both on road and stationary. We had many hours of conversation riding to and from work, weekend rides and so on. He knew how to bring it, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Knowing Mikes faith, I take comfort and am glad that he is in a better place now. My deepest condolences to Lisa and the rest of Mikes family.

Betsy and I were shocked and saddened by Mike's sudden passing.  I knew Mike best early in his Caltrans career.  Mike, Kevin Thompson, and I carpooled together from Auburn for a few years.  Mike was always light-hearted, enthusiastic, great to be around, and very approachable.  I admired his focus on getting ready for his cross-country bicycle trips by commuting in to work on his bike from Auburn.  He said it was no big deal but I rode in from Auburn once, one-way, and I was sore for several days.  Most impressive!  Thinking about Mike puts a smile on the face of many of us and he will be greatly missed.  It is comforting to know that he is now in the presence of Jesus.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lisa and the rest of Mike's family for strength and comfort in the days ahead.

I am sorry for your loss. Mike was a wonderful person to work with.  He was positive, pleasant, nice, and personable.  

  Words can’t express my sorrow for your loss, please accept my condolences.

Mustafa

I am so sad to hear that Mike passed away.  A truly nice person, he had your back in a competitive field. It breaks my heart to hear this.  Susan Carroll

Field Trip from Management and Technical Seniors to the Stockton casting plant for the new East San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Skyway portion.  This picture must be sometime before 2005.

December 27, 2017. Branch 18 Retirement Celebration for Seismic Specialist Jorge Estrada.

Mike Pope was a excellent human being. A well seasoned engineer, full of technical knowledge and an expert in Precast and Post Tensioned Concrete Design and Fabrication Methods.

I was hired in August 1999 and I met Mike in September 1999 at the Bridge Academy #32. His friendliness, humility and passion for teaching Prestressed Concrete section made an impression on me. I was a Range A Engineer, ready to absorb all knowledge available to me.

Initially he was the teacher and I was the apprentice. Over the years as I gained deep engineering knowledge we were friends and colleagues. I remember his personality traits: Type A Social, very friendly, always smiling. I do not remember ever seeing in a bad mood. 

My last conversation with him was at the end of 2022. He needed a file from Structure Office Engineer to be sent to the District Office Engineer. After I found the file and emailed to him, we engaged in a conversation. He gave me his recommendation to take early retirement, to preserve quality of life. I told him I had just bought some high end SPECIALIZED bicycles and I was going to pursue biking for the first time in my life. Knowing he was a life long bicyclist, I asked for his cellular number to meet with him and get some teaching points from the master. He said yes, we will get together soon enough.

Mike is the person that left an impression in all the people that met him. He will not be forgotten. His memory will always bring me joy and happy memories for an extraordinary human being that lived his life to the fullest.

As a Roman Catholic, I wish Jesus will embrace him with open arms  and he can get his due credit for all the good he did in this earthly life.

Hi,

My name is Jun Jung. I was one of the Bridge Academy instructors that Mike Pope was running for awhile ago. I am truly sorry to hear your loss and was shocked hear the devastating news.

I am here far away in Korea, but my heart is with you and your family. I wish you the best and you have my full support in every moment.

Mike, rest in peace. God be with you.

Jun from Korea.

I'm so sorry for your loss.  Mike was a great guy always telling stories about the kids.  I worked with Mike at Caltrans.  We worked early morning shift and I enjoyed our daily visit after his bike ride in from Auburn. 
Mike will be truly missed by all.  RIP POPE.

Mike had been a great supervisor and mentor for me while I working 8 years in Caltrans Bridge Design Branch 18.  Mike helped me to design my first prestressed concrete bridge and I was impressed by his knowledge & insight into the PT/PS bridge design.  His lecture PPT slides have been classic for Caltrans Bridge Academy.   During my time working with Mike, we had a lot of fun talking about the college football in the office which I will cherish this sweet memory forever… 

Mike, rest in heaven and you will be greatly memorized by all of us.


Mike,
Denna and I are shocked. We read the words and we cannot believe it is true. I remember spinning in the class just behind you. You are going fast and strong, as always, and pretend like I am going to catch up with you - I wish. You were such an inspiration to all of us. 
Denna just shared a story about you helping and encouraging her in Bonnie's class. I know she was not the only one. You were always there to help and assist whoever needed. Whether to install Christmas lights or any other decoration - you were always there. 
We will miss you, Mike. You left a big void - hard to fill. 
To your family and all those who loved you, please accept our deepest condolences. 
Denna and Oskar

I was fortunate that Mike was one of my mentors when I started my career in Bridge Design section 17 at Caltrans in Sacramento, CA. He not only coached me professionally but also shaped me the person I am today. I have many fun memories with Mike. I had to leave Sacramento in 2003. The above picture of Mike is from the day of my send off. Rest in Peace, Mike!

Good bye to Mike, one of the truly nice guys I worked with in my career.   He helped me many times solving design, detailing and construction problems.   He treated everyone with respect and was always pleasant and diplomatic during his interactions with others.  He also did some amazing things away from work. I remember the cross country bike rides.  He rode over 3000 miles from Oregon to New York  in like 30 days.  He averaged over 100 miles a day and 16mph.  I enjoyed following his updates from the road during this trip.  I asked him when he got back, what kept him motivated to keep up such a pace.  He said he missed his family terribly and wanted to get back.  He spoke to me about his kids frequently and it was obvious he was a loving, dedicated father and husband.  We will miss you Mike.   You were a great colleague,  friend and guy.

Thank you for blessing our lives, Mike, with your bright smile and great enthusiasm! I met you about 8 years ago when I dropped into Kelly's spin class. It was your birthday. First time meeting Kelly & you! Kelly brought a delicious cake, in celebration of your birthday. Today, I celebrate you. I celebrate your life on this planet. What a bright light. I particularly loved hearing about your granddaughters and seeing photos & videos at the onset of classes. Thank you. What a heart. What a lovely soul. The world is a better place because you were here, among us, Mike. I send love and condolences to your beautiful family. God bless you on your continuing journey in the spiritual realm. Many blessings, Mary Lacalle

Mike was a bright light in our workplace here at Caltrans.  I've had the privilege of working with Mike for decades on and off.  More recently we tag teamed on the hiring of Engineers and he was fantastic at it.  I'm going to miss how humble he was about everything.  He always put others first.  I couldn't believe it when he would show up at my office (walking the entire length of our floor to get there) just to ask me in person a simple question.  He was very personable and extremely friendly.  And a bit of a goofball.  He loved the occasional practical joke.  OK, maybe more than occasional.  I am saddened to think about this great loss.  But for him it's a promotion to be with Christ in his heavenly home.  I look forward to joining him some day.  May God provide His deep comfort to his entire family and all those who knew him as we grapple with this unexpected event.

Marc Friedheim
Caltrans Colleague and friend

Mike had the biggest heart! Always concerned about others and leading the charge with fun banter. 

I will miss talking to him about Giants games, football (he adored his Hillmen) and the Sacramento kings!

Most of all he loved to talk about the love he had for his family.  Matt, Taryn, Brandon, Lisa, Darian and Matt- he loved you all SO MUCH! He would also frequently share pictures and videos with me of his beautiful granddaughters- Riona & Sofina. He ADORED those girls. He was also very excited about baby boy Waylon on the way. Such a proud grandpa!

I met Mike over 15 years ago at the Bridge Academy. Right then and there I appreciated his outgoing spirit, passion for Bridge Design and  his love for the SF Giants. We had many conversations that started with how the team was doing and ended with a thoughtful discussion of something related to work. He was a man that influence many here in Bridge Design whether it be in hiring efforts, running the Bridge Academy or being a person to discuss an issue. He will be greatly missed.

This video is a testament to just how awesome Mike was at Caltrans and how much joy he blessed us with and just how far he was willing to go to create an atmosphere of inclusion. Not that long ago he stopped by my cubicle just to say goodbye before he left for his retirement.  it was an unexpected pleasure to see him. This impromptu video showcases just how much he enjoyed showing off his yoga prowess. Thank you Mike for all the awesome memories, until we meet again rest in peace my friend.

I am so sad to hear the news of Mike’s passing. I would often see Mike at the gym. He was always friendly and always smiling. He will truly be missed. My deepest condolences to his family. 

I worked with Mike for 3 years, he was a wonderful man, friendly and helpful, he will be always remembered and missed. 

Rest in peace Mike

I knew mike from the gym, he was the most engaging, welcoming man with the biggest smile that treated everyone as a friend whether or not he even knew your name. He made every class better, and though I only shared a few words with him, I always felt happier and more energetic when he was in my class. His zest for life was contagious, and he was surely a very special man. 

Like others, I have many fond memories of Mike.  Professional, enthusiastic, active, and fun all come to mind when I think of Mike.  There was never a challenge too big or a day too long to reach the finish line.  Like others, I would come across Mike at the gym during the lunch hour and he was just as dedicated to his fitness as he was to his work.   I collaborated with him many times on projects and was always so thankful for his willingness to help others and improve the Department.  My questions were never perceived as a  burden and for this reason, Mike was a go-to for me as a Bridge Design subject matter expert.

 I am so sorry for the family and can only imagine how big this loss is.  

I'm so saddened to hear this news. I met Mike when he was an instructor in the Bridge Design Academy, and also had the good fortune to be in the same design branch as him when I started at Caltrans.  Mike was very knowledgeable, and always generous in sharing his knowledge and his time, and I learned a lot from him. He also had a great sense of humor and made the workplace fun. He was an all around awesome person and he will be sorely missed.  Sending my heartfelt condolences to his family. 


I know Mike for a long time, he was friendly, helpful and working hard, he will be missed by many.  May his soul rest in peace.



I had a fun time with Mike during Bridge Academy. Subsequently, I talked to him on various occasions. Every time he left me with a positive impact and solid feedback. I wish I had more time with him. He impacted so many Engineers in Caltrans. My deepest sympathy is with his family.  May God give you strength to cope up with this loss.

Mike was a great personality 
Every one in Caltrans family missing him 

Rest in peace Mike 



I am so sorry for your loss. I worked with Mike & worked out with him at the gym too. He gave everything & everybody his all. In the gym, he enhanced every class he took (he took a lot!). At work, he lead a bridge design group & helped train new hires. I enjoyed working with him —and come to him with questions about bridge design & always enjoyed his company during a work out. We chatted about work & family, he was a great guy & he will be missed!

Regards, prayers,  and wishes for peace for the family and loved ones

A wonderful man and a good friend. I enjoyed talking to Mike regularly and he was always helpful and with such a kind demeanor.

We will miss Mike and condolences to family



I am really sad to write condolences words for Mike's memorial. I was preparing to write him wishing him well for what was coming soon retirement.
I knew Mike as an instructor in the bridge design academy in 2001, after that I had the chance to work with him in the bridge design. As an engineer he was knowledgeable with solid engineering background, on the other hand as a person he was kind, reachable and easy going.
During his career with Caltrans he left positive impact on all those who knew him, he will be always remembered and missed. 


I was saddened to hear about the loss of such a wonderful man.  I knew Mike from the gym for the past 8ish years.  I started taking classes with him, and then ended up teaching classes he would often take.  He was such a light and was so friendly to everyone which is one of the first things I noticed about him.  I never saw him upset, or mean spirited, he was so uplifting.  After the pandemic I didn't get to see him as often as when he commuted to downtown daily but I enjoyed every Wednesday evening when I did. He would always share pictures of his granddaughter and he was so happy to be a Grandpa.

The funniest story we'd always laugh about was one time during a class I was teaching I felt really nauseous, and I ran to the bathroom to throw up and he took over my class for a few minutes with 0 notice.  

I just really want also to share that the lives he touched would make you so proud.  I have spoken to so many members and staff at many of the different clubs who are saddened by this news.  Life really can be unfair sometimes. I hope with the coming days and weeks you can find some solace in knowing he was loved by so many people.

Halloween 2022: Cat in the Hat, Crazy cat lady, and Giant cat outside the spin room. I will miss Mike's zest for life and competitive spirit. We would talk about football & share pictures & stories of our granddaughters, who are similar in age. Mike's love & pride in his family was undeniable. Please know you are in many peoples thoughts & prayers! Deb DeCarlo, the crazy cat lady in the middle 

OBITUARY

Michael Rodney Pope

September 25, 1961 – February 25, 2023

Chapel of the Hills

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Updates

Services