Michael Stanley Hartsell

Michael, also lovingly known as Daddy, Sweetheart, Mikey Dotie, and Harts, was born on December 18, 1962, at the Air Force Academy Hospital in Colorado Springs, CO. He was the youngest of four children, born to Charles Mack Hartsell and Joye Gwendolyn Newton Hartsell, and was spoiled rotten from the time he was born. He loved taking things apart to see how they worked, but rarely put them back together, which frustrated his mother greatly. He was accident prone, and sustained more head injuries than the rest of his siblings combined. Michael was an outstanding athlete, and grew up loving and playing sports. He discovered his greatest athletic passion, rugby, which he began playing in 1985 with the Birmingham Vulcan Rugby Club. In that club he forged friendships that continued until his death, and we are very grateful for their kindness and support.

While looking for a Sunday School class in the halls of Shades Mountain Baptist Church and quite lost in the large church, Michael met the love of his life, Stephanie Hickman Syphurs. She showed him where he needed to go, and he could not stop thinking about her. They began dating and in August 2012 they married at Shades Mountain. Michael loved Stephanie deeply, and was so very grateful for the way she loved their children: Will Hartsell, Davis Hartsell, Macy Hartsell, Alyssa Waters (Christopher), and Rushton Syphurs. He also was the step-grandfather of two precious girls, Blakely and Avery Waters.

Michael had three siblings: Debbie Donaldson (David), Kathy Price (Larry); and Greg Hartsell (Jan). They loved him, and loved giving him a hard time, which was always reciprocated. Growing up in an Air Force family they moved many, many, times, and therefore depended on each other a great deal. He grew up spending time with many cousins, and as an adult became the proud uncle of two nephews, Walker and Ben Donaldson.

Professionally, Michael was Associate Director, Information Technology, in the Revenue Department at the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation. During his 25-year career there he enjoyed his work, but more importantly, the wonderful relationships he had with his co-workers.

God provided many people who helped us during the last few months and weeks, including family, friends, and our Shades Mountain family. Thank you all for your love and comfort. We would also like to thank Dr. William Curry, Dr. Hitesh Batra, and Chaplain Malcolm Marler at UAB. There are not enough words for how much you helped us.

Because of the pandemic, we are limited to just a few people at the funeral, but it will be live streamed on Southern Heritage Funeral Home's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SouthernHeritageFuneral/ on May 1, 2020, at noon. We hope to have a celebration of Michael’s life sometime this summer.

Michael was mischievous, kind, quiet, and didn't really like to sit still. He would do pretty much anything someone needed him to do. He loved his Sunday School class, his rugby friends, spending time with his family, and working around the house. We hope that he would like everything written here, but if he didn’t we think he would roll his eyes at us and say either “Good grief” or “Mmmhmmm”. We miss him so much, but know we will see him again. Thank you, God, for his precious life.