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Michael Neal Atwell

1942 - 2022

Michael Neal Atwell obituary, 1942-2022, Markleeville, CA

Michael Atwell Obituary

Michael Neal Atwell
June 21, 1942 - December 23, 2022
Markleeville, California - Michael Neal Atwell died after a short illness in Folsom, California on December 23rd. He was surrounded by his family. Mike was born in Chicago, Illinois to Olin and Janice Atwell and moved to Los Angeles, California when he was 6 years old. The family later moved to Burlingame, California where Mike graduated from Burlingame High. He attended San Jose State and the College of San Mateo before graduating from San Francisco State. The College of San Mateo was where he met the love of his life, his wife Barbara. He attended Hastings School of Law and after graduation and passing the bar, he joined the Merced County District Attorney's Office. He was then hired by the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. Life long fans of the Lake Tahoe area, Mike and Barbara decided to move their family to the South Shore in the early 70s where Mike went into private practice. In his long and successful career that he loved so much, Mike would be a county conflict attorney, assistance DA and assistance public defender for El Dorado County. He was active with the law library, Sunrise Kiwanis and the local theater and arts community including being a founding member of the Tallac Association. Mike had recently retired from his dream job as the District Attorney of Alpine County, CA.
Mike is survived by his wife of over 55 years, Barbara, his two daughters, Lara and Sara, and his son, Duncan, daughter in law Charity and his grandchildren, Emma and William in addition to an extended group of family and friends. A celebration of life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Valhalla Arts Association.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Sacramento Bee on Jan. 28, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
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2 Entries

Harvey

February 15, 2025

When I first started working as a deputy public defender in 1972 in San Francisco, Michael was in final months there but still took time to answer questions and provide insights into how to handle a large case load. He impressed me as being a true believer in the criminal justice system.

Tony Sears

January 28, 2023

I met Mike in 1990 when I moved to Tahoe. In him, I quickly found a dear friend - a legal opponent at the time, and co-worker later. Through all the years, Mike and I remained quite close, and I enjoyed every interaction with him. He had an amazing repertoire of experiences and interests, a quick wit, and a vocabulary second to none.

When the Angora fire drove my family from our home in 2007, Mike and Barbara unhesitatingly offered up their Tahoe home for us to live in while ours was being rehabilitated. An amazing couple, and truly wonderful people who always acted as a team.

I will miss Mike, but am so very thankful for all the years I had with him. My life is richer for those years, and poorer with his loss.

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