Michael Dean Preston

Michael Dean Preston was born on March 9, 1953, in Corpus Christi, TX, and died peacefully with his wife by his side on June 17, 2020, at the age of 67 in Dallas, TX after an eight month long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Michael was born to Carol Dean and Patricia Preston, the fourth of six children. He was raised mostly in Webster Groves, MO, but spent two of his elementary school years in Arkansas. Summers were spent traveling around the country, working with his siblings in their family lead salvaging business. After graduating from Webster Groves High School in 1971, Michael chose to attend Utah State University in Logan, UT, to earn a degree in Landscape Architecture. After graduating in 1975, he was hired by HOK, an architectural firm in St. Louis, MO, before transferring to their Dallas office in 1978. While at HOK, he met a young Belgian interior architect, Brigitte Van Echelpoel, who would later become his wife. They were wed on September 25, 1982. Together, they had three children and lived in Denver and London, traveling the country and the world for work and leisure, before settling down in Dallas, TX, in 1993. Over the years, Mike worked as a landscape architect for HOK, HNTB, Talley & Associates, and ran his own architectural metalwork business. He spent two years living and working in the Middle East, managing the landscape design for the Qatar Airport, before retiring in 2017.

Michael was an artist and designer who loved graphics and drawing, a traveler with a keen sense of direction and love for the open road, an amateur meteorologist, and a grill master. He was obsessed with anything on wheels - an avid car, airplane, motorcycle and bicycle enthusiast. He was a good, hardworking Midwestern guy, but acquired European sensibilities thanks to his travels and his wife’s family. He was down to earth with a dry sense of humor, a creature of habit who was fiercely loyal, and an individualist with a rebellious streak.

Michael is survived by his wife of 38 years, Brigitte, his two daughters, Laura and Emily, his son, Ryan, and son-in-law, John. He is also survived by his sisters, Kathy Lanson and Chris Brennan, and his brothers, Tim Preston and Peter Preston, along with their spouses, children and grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his mother Patricia Hansel Preston, his father Carol Dean Preston, and his brother Steve Preston.

There will be a socially distant wake at the outdoor pavilion at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home on Monday, June 22nd, 2020, between 4pm and 7pm. Please dress for the warm weather and wear a mask. The address is 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX. You can find more information on their website: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/dallas-tx/michael-preston-9225913

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (https://www.pancan.org/) or the Anticancer Fund (https://www.anticancerfund.org/) in honor of Michael.