Michael Lewis Leggett

Born November 8, 1954, in Columbus, Ohio. Following graduation from Hilliard High School, Mike furthered his education at The Ohio State University where he earned a degree in communications. He lived in the Columbus area until he retired, at which time he sought warmer weather. That pursuit led him to Ft. Myers, where he had ready access to ocean breezes and picturesque sunsets. In 2020, Mike moved to Charlotte to be close to grandchildren.

Mike enjoyed life to the fullest. Nothing brought him more joy than spending time with family, whether vacationing or establishing his famous “Camp Badass” in Charlotte for visitors, with a full menu of activities and fine air-fried cuisine. Two of Mike’s other passions: music and sports. Hardly a day passed with Mike that didn’t begin with a handful of “vitamins” (peanut M&M’s) and then immediately turning on the classic rock streaming music channel. Anyone who ever rode in the car with Mike likely played “name that tune.” He had encyclopedic knowledge about classic rock and sought out live music of all varieties – everything from marquee sold-out concerts to small sets at a state fair, to single acoustic setups at local restaurants.

Neck-and-neck with music was Mike’s passion for sports. He fancied himself as quite the athlete and had the requisite competitive spirit for it. Name a sport–Mike at least tried it. Watersports, however, may have been his favorite. He loved to ski, and in his later years, had an increased interest in wakeboarding and wakesurfing. His latest athletic passion was pickleball, an unfamiliar sport to Mike until he moved to Charlotte. But when he saw his neighbors playing regularly, he did what everyone does to learn something new: watch countless YouTube videos. Through pickleball, Mike made fast friends with so many in his Charlotte neighborhood. In addition to playing sports, Mike was an avid fan. As a long suffering Cleveland sports backer, he sadly never saw his Browns or Tribe win a professional championship. He takes with him, however, a recent playoff win over his in-laws’ favorite team from Pittsburgh.

Mike also had a passion for water. He loved the beach life and lake life alike. He found true bliss in setting up a beach chair just on the edge of the tide’s reach (of course while his music pumped into his ears through his oversized Bose headphones). Equally satisfying was an evening cruise on his boat with a takeout pizza and, yes, you guessed it, his music.

Mike will be remembered by all for being unique in every way. He was unique in the way he dressed. His wardrobe was tailored only for comfort and spanned the entire color spectrum – most commonly something of a highlighter tint. He was unique in his sense of humor. He was a funny guy, but no one should have ever let him hear that out loud, as he truly thought he was the funniest. Mike liked to rib, but was always light hearted to receive a commensurate ribbing in return. Mike also had the most unique laugh. Words cannot describe the volume or pitch of his laugh, but that laugh cannot be replicated. It was believed by some that his laugh was a way to get others to laugh at his failed jokes: if his jokes didn’t make you laugh, his laugh would make you laugh.

Mike was also unique in his obsessive, compulsive personality. He couldn’t sit still. He was a handy guy who was quite adept at fixing things and renovating every area of a house (again with the aid of YouTube, of course). And when the weather was nice, you could almost certainly find Mike in the driveway detailing his cars.

In some sense, Mike was single-minded in that he just wanted to have fun. He wanted you to have fun. He created so many fun memories for all and he will forever live on in those memories.

Preceded in death by mother Eva and father Rex. Survived by wife Tina of 44 years, two children Nathan (Kate) and Corey (Kristin), four grandchildren (Harper, Madison, Evelyn, and Will), sister Shirley, and brother Bill. Per Michael’s wishes no formal public services will be held. Intimate services were held this week for close family – they said goodbye to the rock of the family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.McEwenPinevilleChapel.com for the Leggett family.