Big Mike.

This will be, I'm hoping, the saddest post I will write. I write this post with tragic news. Some of my readers might remember my past post about Big Mike. I just found out he has passed in the most tragic of ways (that's all I'll say about that). My heart aches because I can no longer call on one of the person's with the biggest hearts I have ever met. To be honest I can actually count the number of people I know that have a heart as big as his.

I guess writing this post will let me get some things out and maybe get you a glimpse of my friend.

I met Big Mike on volunteer day at the lawschool. As the coordinator was distributing tasks, something last minute came up. The coordinator asked who would be willing to dig a whole to get to a clogged pipe. Mike raised his hand with no hesitation. He was always willing to do something to help out. God knows he helped me out.

We had many classes together and we talked a lot about what we wanted to do. He wanted to work in employment law in the management side. He was the founding father of the Pikes at UW Whitewater and helped establish the chapter at UW Madison.

I obviously can't tell you everything about him in this post but I will leave you with one of my fondest memories.

After my first year of law school my wife gave birth to our twin daughters. When I told Mike the news he looked as happy as I did. He gave a hug, a congratulations and a smile that was some what hidden by his bushy mustache and beard. We celebrated with his favorite drink, Captain and Coke (he would not drink anything else). Once they were born I moved to Milwaukee to be close to family. About two weeks before school started I received a call from Big Mike.

"Hey, what's up man, I'm in town. I wanted to see the girls and just stop to say hi"
"Good to hear from you Big Mike, I'll be home all day, stop by"

He knocked on the door, I opened it, and there he was, with that big smile and presents for my daughters. He bought one of them a stuffed Winnie the Pooh (color fuchsia ) and a stuffed Eeyore (a light blue color). He was so happy to give it to them, again he looked as happy as I would've been to give that to them. To this day my ddaughters have to sleep with them.

He stayed a while, played with my girls and we talked. He always asked me about my daughters (to me this is one of the most important things, when people truly have an interest in your kids tells you a lot about the person, and not those superficial questions but really wanting to know how they are, etc.)

When my wife gave birth to our third daughter, he wanted to see her and is unfortunate he never got to. It's unfortunate I will never speak to him and saddens me that I will never see that smile again.

I called him Big Mike because he was built like a rock but in reality it also means because he had such a big heart. I will always miss him and my thoughts are with his family. I never experienced this before with someone so close. I pray for his soul and will never forget him.

BIG MIKE, I WILL ALWAYS MISS YOU