Michael Jaret

Michael Edward Jaret
Sep 18, 1947 - Sep 23, 2020
Michael was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1947, the first son of Ralph and Ellen Jaret. After his brother and sister were born, the family moved to Garden City, NY, Chatham, NJ, and then Deerfield, IL, where Michael graduated from high school in 1966.

Michael had an adventurous spirit, a curious nature, and compassion for everyone he met. He was always tinkering with something. As a teenager, he built his own boat, several guitars, a recording studio, and even a prototype flying saucer powered by a lawnmower engine. He loved everything about technology, from airplanes and cars to computers. Michael was always ready to help anyone, ready to fix anything, ready with a warm smile.

He was also a born entrepreneur. At 18, he managed a music store in Chicago. He went on to start a teen night club with live bands. While in college, he started his own stereo store, Appletree Stereo, which expanded into a chain in the Chicago area. He flew his own plane, commuting between his stores. (Once, when his sister Susan's car broke down in "Nowhere, Illinois," he gallantly flew to rescue her.) In 1979, Appletree was awarded the "Audio/Video Dealer of the Year Award."

In 1968, Michael married Carolyn Stoker. They had two children, Christopher and Courtney. Although the marriage ended, they adored their children and were proud of their accomplishments. He was a devoted father and spent most of his life as a single dad, balancing his careers and his care for his children.

A natural musician, Michael played in bands in high school along with his brother. Later in his life he became interested in jazz and Brazilian music, often performing around the Bay Area. He loved to travel and took beautiful photographs of the places he visited. His photo of a Venetian canal was singled out for an award by the Pacific Art League.

To be near his father and stepmother, Michael moved to Florida, where he worked for Sarasota Magazine. In 1992 he moved to California, where he worked for Apple, IBM, Placeware, and as an independent consultant.

Michael met his wife, Susan, in 2011. They shared many interests, including wine, travel, art, dogs, architecture, and music. They were avid fans of the Stanford and Healdsburg jazz festivals. They were married on March 5, 2015 and had many adventures together. Sue brought him great joy and cared for him tenderly and devotedly as his illness, cerebellar ataxia, slowly robbed him of mobility and movement.

Michael is survived by his wife Susan; brother Peter (Steven Peterson); sister Susan (Stephen) McKinstry; son Chris Jaret; daughter Courtney (John) Mamuscia; granddaughters Caitlin Jaret and Emme Mamuscia; nephews Ryan and Dylan McKinstry; niece Ellen McKinstry; and his stepmother Sally Jaret.

The family thanks the staff at Stanford and Sutter Health Palliative Care and Hospice, along with his private caregivers, Dominique Cariaga and Denis O'Brien, for their wonderful care and concern for Michael.

Donations in Michael's honor can be made to the National Ataxia Foundation (ataxia.org) and the Healdsburg Jazz Festival (healdsburgjazz.org). Everyone is welcome to share memories and comments at michaeljaret.com.