Michael James Hollinger

Michael James Hollinger was born January 9, 2005, in Santa Monica, CA. He was taken from us too soon on October 19, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.
Michael spent the early part of his life in both Hudson and Bellevue, Ohio. Just before Michael's 10th birthday we relocated our family to Hermosa Beach, CA, because of a job opportunity. He spent many happy years in Hermosa Beach where he attended Hermosa Valley School and then Mira Costa High School. Michael enjoyed the beach, video games, and skateboarding with friends. He spent a lot of enjoyable time at Clark Field and the Farmers Market. Michael approached interests with passion and intensity as he wanted to master them, beginning with trains, then moving onto Legos at age 3; from Legos he discovered stop motion video then video games and skateboarding.
Over the summer Michael started riding motorcycles. One night Michael took a ride. According to authorities, the bike likely destabilized, and Michael hit a freeway median. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness.
We love Michael so much and are so proud of his accomplishments. He was able to pursue his academic passion as a Computer Science and Engineering major at The Ohio State University. The last two summers of college Michael interned at a major company. His first summer he was the youngest intern that had ever been hired and this past summer he was awarded for his work.
Michael is survived by his parents and his younger sister. He was extremely close to his family, especially his maternal grandparents.
A few years ago, we adopted two young cats from Peter Zippi. Michael quickly became attached to them and enjoyed watching all their antics. During High School, Michael did a photography project for school that exposed him to the desperate situation that homeless people face and their reliance on the Los Angeles Mission. Michael experienced volunteering at an early age helping deliver food to the needy through St. John's Lutheran Church; they provide many helpful services for the community.
In lieu of flowers please consider donating to, Peter Zippi Memorial Fund (https://www.peterzippifund.org), dedicated to helping animals since 1977; or Los Angeles Mission (https://losangelesmission.org); and or, St. John's Lutheran Church of Bellevue, Ohio (https://stjohnselca.breezechms.com/give/online).
There will be a memorial service for Michael on Friday, November 14th, 2025, at Walker-Eastman-Heydinger Funeral Home, 98 West Main Street, Norwalk, Ohio 44857. A visitation will take place from 2:00-4:00 p.m., with a service for Michael beginning promptly at 4:00 p.m.
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