Mike Michaels

MICHAELS, MIKE Mike Michaels, age 72, of Guilford, beloved husband of the late Steffy Michaels, passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on November 5, 2013. Born in Stamford on March 29, 1941 he was the son of the late Edwin and Rose Klein Michaels. Mike attended the University of Chicago and enjoyed a 35-year career in professional audio where he recorded and created scores for entertainment and advertising. He was an enthusiastic musician and lover of literature and the arts. In the early 1960s, he helped organize the nascent University of Chicago Folk Festival, which brought him into contact with luminaries of bluegrass, old-time country, and blues music who would become his lifelong friends. He became a master blues and jazz harmonica player and went on to mentor a new generation of eager local folk, jazz, and blues artists. With an encyclopedic knowledge of American music, he continued to collaborate with area musicians and to share his passion with young people through performances in local schools and libraries. He was an avid photographer and writer who was published in numerous music magazines and journals. Deeply committed to his wife, children, and grandchildren, he loved to share stories of his lifelong musical odyssey with family and friends. His life was marked by a keen intellectual curiosity and an abiding, profound spirituality. In the vernacular of his beloved gospel music, he was a lighthouse on the hillside. His light will continue to guide all those who knew him to extract the full richness and wonder from this earthly life. Mike is survived by his son Christopher of New York, New York; his son Michael and daughter-in-law Elisa Bolton of Rye, New Hampshire; his grandchildren Allyson, Juliette, and Bennett; and his brother James, his wife Janis, and their sons Joshua & Jason of Oceanport, NJ. A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street, Milford, CT 06460. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a sizable tip for the next good street musician you encounter. To leave online condolences please visit our website at www.codywhitefuneralservice.com