Michael Dean Rush

My dearest heart. I love you as I love my sons, Cyrus and Aaron. I miss you more than I can express. You are somehow with me in every moment. Thank you for everything you gave me. So generous. So rich.

Michael you helped me find that Jazz beat - that thread of music that the soles of my feet have danced through all my life. I know you're out there sailing your boat in that great big sea in the sky. Love you.

Michael was a person who found his niche in life and loved it. I met him in the late 60's at the Folksinger listening to The Great Pumpkin. I remember he had a great shirt that was big patterns of pink, orange and white that really glowed in the light show. Rest well.

Michael was a mentor to me, my room mate, and the drummer in my first band. The Great Pumpkin was the funkiest rock n roll band that ever was. It was a precious blessing to have known him. Greggory Stockert

Mike became an avid diver in high school and went camping with my family to the Puget Sound to keep up his skills. While we were using SCUBA he would often free dive and best us with his catches. Once he speared a record Ling Cod free diving off Black Point that was as long as he was tall. Sometime later he was practicing for a try at the free diving record in Lake Merwin and nearly stopped his adventurous pursuits with the "bends". It seems that everytime we visited since high school he...

Having moved to Oregon during my second year of high school I did not know Mike as well as most who went through the lower grades with him. However, I do remember him as one of the first to befriend me which is always nice when you are new to a school. He always had a great sense of humor and big smile. Sw him at our 20th reunion and he had that same smile and friendliness about him. I hope his life was close to being as happy as he appeared to be. So sorry you are gone, Mike.

My deepest sympathies to Michael's family. Mike and I graduated together in 1963 from Tigard High. My best memory is when Mike was Marrying Sam at the Sadie Hawkins dance. I still have my marriage certificate that he signed. Rest in peace my friend.

My deepest condolences to Michael's family. As a friend from the 1970's, I recognized Michael's musical talents, his genius in problem solving, his great sense of humor, and his ability to see beyond the obvious. He was truly one-of-a-kind in so many ways. He will be missed.