Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Michael, passed away on November 5, 2010 from complications waiting for a second kidney transplant. He was born on December 23, 1951 in Seattle and grew up in Medina and Bellevue. He graduated from Newport High School, the University of Washington with a B.S. in Forest Management and later a Masters of Education in Counseling from City University.
Michael worked on a fire crew, in Timber Management and Sales for the Forestry Service in Glacier, WA. After federal budget cuts, he worked as a phlebotomist at the Puget Sound Blood Center in Seattle for 10 years, until he became a Seattle school teacher.
Michael met his wife, Mary, at a teen dance at St. Monica’s Catholic Church on Mercer Island in 1969. They were friends from then on. They were married in 1984. They settled on the Eastside where they raised two children, Taryn and Will.
In 1976, Michael received his first kidney transplant from his father. Dr; Thomas Marchioro was the amazing surgeon at the University Medical Center. Michael nurtured that kidney for the past 34 years. He became an active participant of the U.S. Transplant Games from then on, and was an active member of TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization). He played on the annual TRIO softball team for the "Whiz Kids" (kidney and liver recipients) against the "Heartbeats" (heart and lung recipients)
He always had a passionate love of the outdoors, enjoyed camping, sailing, skiing, biking, hiking and rock hounding with his family and friends. The photos only show a fraction of the places he went for contemplation and wonder.
Michael was always involved with his children's sports. He was an assistant coach of baseball at the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club, and middle school football for the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club. Michael loved to coach other people's kids, too. He coached basketball and soccer at Eckstein Middle School.
In 2005, Michael suffered a spinal cord injury during a sailboat race, leaving him partially paralyzed and wheelchair bound. He continued one of his favorite pastimes via Footloose (disabled) Sailing Association, recently becoming a secretary on the board. When his health was good enough, he continued to teach and coach. In 2007, he coached "SCORES", a writing and soccer program at Rainier View Elementary. He then became a reading tutor for the Washington Reading Institute, at Wing Luke Elementary and then worked as a Powerful Schools tutor at Hawthorne Elementary, all in the Seattle Public Schools
He is survived by his wife, Mary, daughter Taryn (Steve Schiffman), son Will, grandchildren Emma and Gideon, brother Terry (Margaret), sister Stacey Nelsen (Mark), nieces Cherylynn Brownback (Kyle) and Kristen Nelsen.
He will be remembered as being so strong, positive, and stoic, a loyal friend and kind person.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation, TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) or Footloose (Disabled) Sailing Association.
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