Michael Pungello

Michael Pungello, 42, of Austin, passed away on January 5, 2013. Michael was born on July 8, 1970 in Bronx, NY to Robert Pungello, Sr. and Angela Gallucci-Pungello. After spending his early years in Queens, NY, the family moved to Rockland County, NY where Michael graduated from Clarkstown North High School in 1988. He then moved on to earn a BFA in Film Production from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in 1992. After graduation, Michael moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and it was there in 1995 that he met his soul mate and partner, Kevin Smothers. Together they enjoyed going to concerts, traveling, eating at the latest hot spot, and generally enjoying each other's company. In 1998, they made the move to Austin, a place from which they would move twice but would always return, for the final time in 2005. Michael was a deejay and music designer, creating sound experiences for national and international brands, including hotels, restaurants and retailers. It was the perfect fit for someone with an encyclopedic knowledge of all types of music. As his friends and colleagues knew, if you needed to know something about music, you called on Michael for the most minute of details. The past year was one of struggle for Michael and Kevin as they faced Michael's cancer diagnosis head on, never giving up and always holding out hope that they would get more time together. Many thanks go to Michael's teams at MD Anderson in Houston and Texas Oncology Midtown. Michael was preceded in death by his father, maternal grandparents (Michael and Anne Gallucci), and paternal grandparents (Brunetta and Concetto Pungello). He is survived by Kevin, his partner of 17 years, and by his mother, his brother Robert Pungello, Jr., and by a nephew and two nieces. He is also survived by aunts, uncles, many cousins and their families…not to mention a host of friends from coast-to-coast. A celebration of Michael's life will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theatre on Saturday, February 2, 2013. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to LIVESTRONG, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), or to MD Anderson Cancer Center.