Michael Motyl

1931 - 2016

Motyl, Michael
Oct. 23, 1931 - Nov. 29, 2016
Michael Motyl passed away on Tuesday, November 29th, at the age of 85 after battling Parkinson's Disease. Michael is survived by his wife, Venette, his three children, Mark, Lisa and Susan, nine grandchildren and his sister Renee of Haifa, Israel.
Michael (Mieczyslaw) was born in Golub-Dobrzyn, Poland on October 23, 1931. He was the son of Alexsander and Ruchia Motyl and brother to Renee (Reina).
Michael's childhood was scourged by World War II and the persecution by the Nazis in Poland. Only eight years old when the war broke out, Michael and his younger sister Renee were forced into hiding. Michael's mother was gassed in Treblinka and his father, who had miraculously survived the war, was killed during the tumult of the war's aftermath while trying to reunite with his children. The rest of his extended family did not survive. As Michael often said, his survival was a "statistical anomaly". Michael emigrated to New York City on April 10, 1948 on the SS Marine Marlin from Bremen, Germany while his sister was sent to Israel.
Michael's life after the war was full of accomplishments. He was sponsored by a family in Boston, earned his BA from Boston University, married the love of his life, Venette Robichaud, of Fort Kent, Maine, and had three children. He lived in Mexico City, Mexico and Caracas, Venezuela for the greater part of his career as a Group Vice President for Smurfit Corporation. He was adored and respected by his peers, coworkers and all who met him. Michael's great love for the Latin American community inspired him to create an arts and literacy program for its impoverished youth. His facility with languages, speaking Polish, Hebrew, Yiddish, German and Russian fluently, learning English as a young adult and conducting business in Spanish throughout his career, was a testament to his brilliance and capability. He filled his life with classical music, having been born into a family of musicians, and explored the natural beauty and culinary delicacies of Mexico and Venezuela.
Michael and Venette were married 58 years, a tribute to their love, devotion and mutual respect. They settled in the Sarasota area enjoying the arts, warmth and culture it provided. We are deeply saddened by the loss of a man who survived such tragedy as a youth yet never burdened his family with his devastating past. We celebrate the beautiful, exemplary life that he led and we will all miss this dignified man.