Michael Alebis

1955 - 2019

An educator for all ages, a hippie rebel, a lover of music, world traveler, and a published photographer who was forever young at heart, Michael Alebis passed away Friday, June 14th at the age of 64. He is preceded by his father, John Alebis, and he is survived by his wife, Renate Grewenhagen, his mother Georgia Alebis, his brother, John (Dianne) Alebis Jr., and sisters, Sherry (John) Lockman and Patricia (Albert) Steves. In addition, Michael leaves behind eight nieces and nephews and an entire army of friends and students he considered his "honorary family".

Michael was born in Falfurrias, Texas on Earth Day in 1955. After graduating from Alice High School in 1973, Michael attended Texas A&I (now Texas A&M) University in Kingsville. While pursuing a degree in Education, Michael accidentally stumbled into the world of theater when he was asked to sound engineer a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The production was a milestone in his life and an enormous success, ultimately touring around Texas.

In the early 1980s, Michael taught at William Adams Middle School.

In 1988, longtime friend Gilbert Zepeda asked Michael to become the second drama teacher at PSJA High School and, within one year, they both moved to the then-new PSJA North campus.

Michael directed dozens of shows for PSJA North, including a production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead that won third place at the State UIL One Act Play Competition. In 1994, Michael also oversaw the production of an original show written around the music of The Beatles entitled Come Together, which included a live band on stage performing along with the student actors.

On a whim, in 1997, Michael entered a foreign exchange program for teachers and traveled to Germany where he met the love of his life and future wife, Renate. They married in 1999 and, upon returning to the United States, Michael began teaching theater and film at LBJ Middle School.

While teaching at LBJ, and well beyond his retirement, Michael became the go-to expert in UIL One Act Play Contest Managing. Quietly walking onto the stage before every performance with his clipboard, reading glasses, and singular catchphrase: "This is going to be a great day of theater!" Michael Alebis, for many, became the un-official face of Rio Grande Valley One Act Play Competitions.

In addition, Michael was also the mastermind behind "The Palm Awards", a Tony Awards-type ceremony that celebrates the accomplishments of RGV high school students in theater. Just celebrating its second year with more than twenty high schools involved, Michael's wish for a platform where students could "acknowledge each other's accomplishments" is more than fulfilled.

A memorial funeral service will be at the Church of the Advent Episcopal Church in Alice at 4:30pm, Saturday, June 22. A celebration of life gathering will take place at the Cheri and Ted Snelling compound in Alice, Texas on Saturday, June 22 at 6 pm. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the "Michael Alebis Memorial Palms Scholarship Fund" would be greatly appreciated. You can do so by visiting www.RGVTheatricalSpotlight.com/donate.