Cousin Mike, my heart shattered when I heard that you died. I thought of my visits to Philly and I sure loved all my cousins - but the three cousins I could not wait to see were: Cousin Al - Cousin Joe - and you! I share my memories of those visits with the family. You were the star of the basketball court and though you tried your best - you could not make a basketball player of cousin Al. You were the cousin who taught me some pretty fancy dance moves - so I would not be a wallflower at dances. You had Pearl style my hair and put a little lipstick on me when I became a teenager. You had that certain “twinkle in your eye” (you and Aunt Reds) - and I remember thinking: “Mike and Aunt Reds talk with their eyes.” You were so tall and so darned good looking and popular and funny and had such charm and charisma and vitality - that I thought of you not only as my cousin, but my “hero!” As we got older, I realized: “Wow, you are still cool, but you are getting mellow." You wanted the people you loved to “not just be mediocre” - but “to shoot for the stars" in life - in love - and in one’s work. You wanted the whole world to be as happy and exuberant as you were. You did not allow the word “never” to be define you. You passed that on to your children, to your cousins. To this day - when I am “the only one who believes that for every door that closes, there is one that opens” I think “that’s my cousin Michael nudging me to not give up, to try a little harder.” Back to what I was saying: “You became so smart, so worldly, with age in a different way than in your youth. You were aspiring to make it to “the top -” and “you would have made it to the top - ” had things gone normally for you! You once told me how you conducted yourself at board meetings – and how you held your place among powerful executives – you were as comfortable and gracious with them as you were with your friends with whom you played ball. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better…To know even that one soul breathes easier because you have you have lived. This is to have succeeded." You met that mark of success, Mike! I return to my memories. When you became a father, you wanted your children to succeed as humans first, and in their work Eventually that commitment to see your children succeed extended to the entire family: your cousins - your cousins’ children - to the numerous lives you touched. I used the word “hero” to describe you when I was a young girl - but the” hero” you were in your youth was nothing compared to the “hero” you became when you were dealt the worst blow of your life. That’s when I saw the” real hero” in you, Mike. That’s when I saw the strong fighter you were and how you determined you were to fight back with every drop of strength in you. Your disability never made you bitter or despondent or unable to love and feel compassion for others. It made you work harder than most to live a full life. My brothers (Joe, Rick and Bill) tell me I always speak for them when writing tributes to our loved ones. Well, this is one tribute that my brothers would be proud of – and will be thanking me for – for we ALL saw you as a bastion of strength and courage and hope and inspiration. Next time I see a starry night sky, I will look for the brightest star – and think “that’s my Cousin Mike, telling me ‘I’m still around, don’t forget me. I’m busy trying to teach Al how to dribble, and making Cousin Joe smile in the process.” Love. Cousin Linda

Hey Mike, it’s Cousin, Willy, I know you’re in heaven, so I know you’re listening. I’m in my house at the shore and my 2 grandsons are putting skin lotion on their sunburn from surfing (surf boards) on the beach for a couple of hours. I recalled our days on the beach in Atlantic City, when we were their age. We would be on the beach for 8 hours, no sun tan lotion, body surfing. We couldn’t get enough. In the 8th hour, I would say to you that we should be getting back for supper and you would flash that great smile and say, “O ne more time”. So, we would stand back about 30 yards and race to the water and do belly flops right into the biggest wave. We’d truck out of the water like we were heading home and you’d flash the smile again and say, “One more time”. After another 12 times, when we could hardly walk, we head home laughing our heads off. Then I told them about our golfing outings with Cousin Matt, almost every weekend and how much fun we had. I asked if they ever heard of Champagne Tony Lima. No, they said. Well, I told them how you swung the driver like Tony and you drove the ball about 300 yards. Mark, the tennis player, doesn’t play golf but Luke does and he said he didn’t believe me. Then, I told them what a great athlete you were in basketball and any other sport you played. I was on a roll. I told them about our times with Matt at the Racetrack. What fun we had. But my fondest memory was when we would finish the evening, heading home and you would say to Matt and me, "Look guys, don't call me, I don't want to see either one of you ever again". You loved life, but most of all you love your family. But you must how I and all of your family and friends loved you. You were dealt a lousy hand, but you never succomed. Instead, always made the most of it. To Carol, Mike, Mark, Karen, Pearl and Bobby. As long as we keep Mike's Memory in our hearts, he will never leave us, but will take care of us as he always has. We all love you Mike

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.