Michael Brooks Varrell

Michael Brooks Varrell, age 68, of Largo, Florida, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Michael was born on August 20, 1957, in Orange, California, to Patricia Ann O'Brien Varrell and Thomas Andrew Varrell. Raised in a Marine Corps family, he moved frequently during his childhood, forming friendships wherever he went and developing a broad view of the world.

He attended school in Rota, Spain, for grades 9 through 11 before completing his senior year at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. During his junior year in Rota, he participated in the Model United Nations at The Hague, reflecting an early interest in international affairs. While living in Spain, he developed a deep love for the beach and the sea - a connection that remained with him throughout his life.

Summers in Rye Harbor were spent fishing and enjoying time on the water. He worked as a lifeguard in his youth, confident in the surf and happiest near the shoreline.

A gifted and disciplined athlete, Michael, competed in swimming throughout California and North Carolina, earning numerous trophies and medals. His dedication led him to qualify for the Junior Olympics - a testament to both his natural talent and determination.

Golf became a lifelong passion. He played in high school and later competed collegiately at MIT. As a young golfer, he won the Junior Club Championship at Wentworth Fairways (now Wentworth by the Sea Country Club), shooting a 36-hole score of 157. He went on to become a scratch golfer. One of the highlights of his life was meeting Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller at the 1973 World Cup of Golf in Marbella, Spain.

Michael graduated Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), earning a Bachelor of Science in Management in 1979. A member of Beta Theta Pi, Epsilon Chapter, he was known for his intellect and intensity, and for his ability to engage deeply with complex ideas.

He was drawn to research and consulting, with a particular interest in systems dynamics, especially in the areas of health services and urban systems. His mind was both analytical and expansive, always seeking to understand how interconnected systems functioned. To say he was brilliant is an understatement. He read voraciously and could debate any side of an argument with precision.

Michael was predeceased by his parents, Patricia Ann O'Brien Varrell and Thomas Andrew Varrell, as well as by the love of his life, Bonnie Walker of St. Petersburg, Florida, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by Bonnie's daughter, Kim Gile of Seminole, Florida, and her husband and daughters. He is also survived by his sister Donna Susan Varrell of Princeton, Texas, and her longtime partner, Bryan Pugsley; and by his sister Linda Susan Varrell of Maine, her husband, Paul Cormier, and their extended family. He is further survived by numerous cousins.

Michael lived for most of his adult life with serious mental illness, facing the profound challenges of schizophrenia beginning in 1987. His life reminds us how powerful and complex the human mind can be - capable of extraordinary brilliance, yet vulnerable in ways we do not always fully understand. He was deeply loved by his family and by all who truly knew him.

The family is planning a memorial service in Seminole, FL, on April 26, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Michael's memory to NAMI Florida (National Alliance on Mental Illness), whose support meant so much to his family, or to the American Heart Association.