Michael John Sforza

Michael John Sforza, from Wirtz, VA, passed away on Monday, June 17, 2024, at the age of 75. “Mike” to his family and “Pop-Pop” to his grandchildren, was born in New York. He entered the US Navy, where he served all around the world and after that worked throughout his life as an automobile mechanic and a truck driver. There was never a vehicle he couldn’t fix or something he couldn’t build.

After retiring from the US Navy in New York, Mike met Joan – soon to be Joan Sforza. They would go out dancing, hang with friends, and never turned down a good game night. After years of living the city life on Long Island, they decided to make the move to beautiful Virginia by recommendation of Mike – who fell in love with the state’s landscape while serving in Norfolk, VA. They settled in the foothills of the Shenandoah mountains in Franklin County and started this new journey in a beautiful log cabin on Smith Mountain Lake – where they spent their summers teaching their grandchildren how to swim, spending nights playing lawn games, and hosting family dinners. That home was filled with many Christmas family gatherings, plenty of Yankees vs. Mets rivalry games, and too many laughs to count. After trading their log cabin for a one-level ranch style, they continued to have many movie nights, grandchildren sleepovers, and spent many, many weekends entertaining the children and their in-laws in their lovely home.

Mike leaves behind his three children, Michael, Cindy, and Chris, and his four siblings, Steve, Marilyn, Jim, and Nancy, and their spouses.

He is survived by his loving wife, Joan Sforza, his two daughters, Karen and Debbie, and their spouses, Sal and Vinny, and too many grandchildren to name but he loved them all! 

Funeral services will be conducted 2 PM Thursday, June 20, 2024 at Conner-Bowman Funeral Home with Pastor Rick Poland officiating. Interment will follow in Mountain View Memorial Park. His family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 1 PM at the funeral home.

Arrangements by Conner-Bowman Funeral Home, 62 VA Market Place Drive, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.