Michael Robertson

Michael John Robertson entered the world as John and Karyn Robertson's first-born child in Fresno, California on November 4, 1976, his father's 30th birthday. He met his final peace on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 in Sugar Land, Texas. Spending just shy of 42 years on earth, Michael filled more in those short years of life than most ever will in an entire lifetime. Michael grew up in northwest Fresno attending Malloch Elementary and Tenaya Middle Schools, exceling in academics and playing multiple sports. At Bullard High School he settled his love and focus on baseball as a catcher, always keeping statistics and building strategy from his vantage point. He graduated as a Valedictorian in 1995. Michael's continuous craving for more knowledge led him to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley while continuing to play baseball; a Juris Doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law; and an LLM degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He could never fill his brain with enough information and was always the one with all the answers to any question. Throughout his life, it seems Michael never met a stranger. Friendships came easy to him. He was one who was always wiling to talk, listen, and learn. He had a contagious way of never ending the party. His kindness, loyalty and commitment to his family and friends remained unmatched. He was the best of us. Michael's path in life was never the straight, easy road. He purposely chose the path that led to more adventures, obstacles, lessons and fun. His favorite Robert Frost poem captured his journey best - "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Michael's never-ending thirst to explore and see more of the world led him to travel across Australia, Europe, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand, Mongolia and more - forging experiences that shaped his view of the world and quest for public service. Following his law school graduation in 2004, his zeal to do more in the world led him to move from San Francisco to Chicago to volunteer for then-unknown Barack Obama's United States Senate campaign. In 2005, Michael moved to Washington D.C. to join Obama's Senate staff. Michael then led the effort to secure Superdelegate support and votes for President Obama's 2008 presidential election and continued his work on Obama's Presidential Transition Team. Michael then served as a senior official in the Obama Administration, first as Chief of Staff at the U.S. General Services Administration, later as Deputy Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President in The White House and then as a senior advisor at the United States Department of Treasury. In 2016, Michael served on the Clinton Transition Team and then moved on to join the Veretus Group, an investigations and strategic intelligence firm; Sparacino PLLC, an investigative law firm; and his own consulting corporation in Washington D.C. Through his work in Washington D.C., Michael finally found his perfect partner and love of his life, Sahar. They were a "match made in politics" and everyone quickly knew that they were destined to be together. Michael and Sahar were married in 2013 in Washington D.C. and Texas and welcomed their miracle baby boy, Wali Michael Robertson, in June 2017. Michael's resume was finally complete with his long-desired role as a father. In July 2012, while on vacation with his family in Santa Cruz, California, Michael was struck by lightning when diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer at 35 years old. In the years that Michael was building his life, the cancer had been silently growing. The statistics were not in Michael's favor, but he faced his fight head-on and fought for every inch of life. He beat the odds and thrived for over six years through countless surgeries and treatments. His heart, mind and spirit never wavered. Michael is survived by his loving wife Sahar; his son Wali; parents John and Karyn Robertson; sister Jaimee Robinson and her husband Scott and nephews Vincent and Chase; parents in-law Hashmet and Samar Wali and brother-in-law Shan Wali; Aunts Camille Modersbach and her husband Bud and Suzanne Walder and her husband Don; Uncle Larry Tashjian and his wife Karen; his cousins and their families; his homie brothers; and countless treasured friends and colleagues he met along his journey. Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 10:30 am at St. Paul Catholic Newman Center, 1572 E. Barstow Avenue, Fresno. Private Interment at Ararat Cemetery, Fresno Remembrances may be made to a trust fund established for Wali's education through www.gofundme.com/for-wali-robertson