I had the honor of being Michael's stepmom for the past 20 years.  He gave me the joy of becoming a grandmother when his daughter Meagan was born.  He, Sarah and Meagan lived with us for 2 years, leaving as he entered the Air Force.  My mother died while Michael was still in basic training.  Because he was unable to come for her funeral, he sent me the sweetest note to say that he hated he could not be there for me at such a difficult time.  He told me something that I will always hold dear:  he said that my mother's face always lit up when she looked at me.  What a gift that was as I suffered the loss of my mother!  In the years following, his dad and I traveled to both Colorado and California to visit each year, not wanting to lose the closeness we had developed with our wonderful little granddaughter.  I have many wonderful memories of those visits and will always hold them dear.  I love you, Michael, and will miss you greatly! Thank you for allowing me a place in your life and in your heart.

To the family, I hope that you know how loved and cherished Michael is to everyone. Mike and I served together in 4 SOPS, where he trained me on crew operations. The impression and impact that Mike left on me has been everlasting, always giving of himself to see others excel and to be their very best. He was such a delight, making everyone feel welcome no matter who they were. He was easily one of the few young Airmen that I looked up to and had continued to follow throughout his career. Mike is such an irreplaceable soul, a one-of-a-kind, and he is sorely missed. 

I will always remember Michael by the way he treated everyone; with respect and dignity.  It was clear, he loved his family.  He was thoughtful with his words and actions.

I will mourn him, but mostly I am filled with a sadness;  his kids will never know the man I knew and what a wonderful person he was.  

Jerry

 Michael was a very sweet and kind friend of mine.  We may not have talked all the time or stayed in contact but every time we did it was always on the same page. He was always sweet enough to be there for me when I needed. He also took me to go shooting guns a few times as well in order to teach me some self-defense just in case anything bad ever happened.  I send all my Angels to his family an loved ones !!!! 


I knew Mike when we were teachers together at Vandenberg. He was always a model for our students and I was proud to call him a friend. 
Blue skies and tailwinds brother.


In the short time that we knew Micheal  we really felt connected to him ,we wished that there was something we could have done  to help him through his pain. We love Micheal and were gonna miss him. God Bless.  Mr & Mrs. Bobby Galindo.

Garza and I joined the Air force within a few months of each other, and we worked crew together and then i was in a back shop with him for a few years. We enjoyed many long philosophical discussions on almost any topic. He could speak from almost every side and sometimes would play the devil's advocate so well, we both changed our views. The world was a wonderful place with him in it, and returning to stardust to be an everlasting part of my universe.

Jensen

Only met you in passing, but everyone in the space community raves about the impact you made. My condolences to your family, and thanks for all that you did in service to your country, and those you served with. 

I met Mike at a mutual friends BBQ party.  I spilt BBQ sauce all over my shirt.  He laughed, I laughed, we bonded.  I wished we spent more time together.  Peace be with you, Mike.

Regis

Some of the best times I had with Mike were in Las Vegas and deployed in the Middle East. He taught me how to gamble (and win!) and explained all the different games on the casino floor to me. He always included everyone we were traveling with and I really appreciated that about him. While we were deployed mike always shared his care packages from home with the team, whether it was hazelnut almond butter or good coffee or chocolate, he always made sure everyone knew it wasn’t just for him. He regaled us with stories about his family and facts about a lot of different things. Mike helped arranged my flights when I went on a trip while we were overseas with our unit and because he knew I was nervous to fly through combat zones he would update me on my flight info with memes and funny sayings. He always offered to help with stuff, even when it wasn’t convenient for him.  He had a profound sense of justice and never worried about speaking his mind. He was one of my best Arabic students and was willing if not eager to learn more to help him connect with our hosts. He was my friend and colleague and I will miss him.

OBITUARY

Michael A. Garza

October 18, 1979 – November 24, 2019

Mountain View Funeral & Cremation

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