MICHAEL CAPEK

CAPEK--Michael J. The world lost a singular presence with the passing of Mike Capek on October 18, 2025 at age 86, with Barbara Lindheim, his adoring wife of 33 years by his side. Mike dove into his many interests with passion and competence--teaching, distance running, Emily Dickinson, reading, the Grateful Dead, Wallace Stevens, human consciousness, squash, James Joyce, William Shakespeare, literary criticism, the English language, hiking the national parks, and walking the vibrant streets of New York City and byways of New Jersey's beautiful Hopewell Valley. A proud product of River Forest near Chicago and a Jesuit education at Marquette, Mike completed his doctorate in English and linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A coveted assistant professorship at Princeton brought him East and Mike never looked back. He fell in love with New York City and even reverse commuted in the late (and wild) 1970s. Finding academic life constricting, Mike moved on to university and foundation fundraising, with a position at NYU providing the opportunity to live in Greenwich Village and become a true New Yorker, running the Marathon in the early 1980s while reveling in the city's diversity and energy. Never one to follow the expected path, in the mid-1980s Mike pivoted to a position as a sales associate on the fabled first floor at Brooks Brothers. Half-jokingly describing this as his "best job ever," Mike reveled in selling the beautifully made wares to his many regular clients who included Fortune 500 CEOs. But missing his true calling of teaching, in his early 50s Mike reinvented himself as an executive writing coach and then as a full-time clinical professor of management communication at the NYU Stern School of Business, and for more than a decade as a visiting professor internationally, most notably at Copenhagen Business School. A gifted and unconventional teacher, Mike was named professor of the year at Stern and was beloved by generations of students for his engaged and powerful approach that went far beyond the standard curriculum. He brought the same focus and energy to his many close and diverse friendships. As a lifelong athlete and fitness buff, Mike's massive stroke in 2014 was a shock to all. Despite the resulting physical limitations, with his usual grit and determination Mike continued to participate fully in life for almost a decade until advanced Parkinson's took its toll. In addition to Barbara, Mike is survived by his sons Charles and Edward and daughters-in-law Kate and Molly, and by former spouse Mary Ellen Capek. Donations in Mike's memory can be made to Wisconsin's English Department a https://secure.supportuw org/give/?id=94688be7-092f- 4067-9eca-c7ea8ea15cc5