Michele Bestudik

1948 - 2025

Avalon Loses Longtime Resident Michele Bestudik

Avalon lost a beautiful smile and Island spirit when longtime Island resident Michele Diane Bestudik passed away January 23rd. Born (July 27th, 1948) in Sacramento to Wallace Taylor Hyde and Maxine Kellogg Hyde. Growing up, Michele and her sister (Gayley Moore) enjoyed many trips to Lake Tahoe and Catalina Island, where their great grandfather built a house by hand along Catalina Avenue.
Michele's family Island history dates back to 1850. Her great-grandfather(Alfred Brown) moved to Catalina at age 18 and was hired as sheep manager for Frank P. Whittley in 1877 (Alfred's sister married Frank in 1890). Michele's great grandmother (Margaret née Barnes) and Alfred were married by Frank Whittley aboard the popular Channel Island ship "Nellie" in 1892. Michele's grandmother (longtime island resident Ynez Kellogg née Brown) was born in 1896 at the family home which was located where the island golf course clubhouse is today.
When William Wrigley offered up lots in fee simple to provide more Island access to the common man, Ynez and her sister were in their 20's and living at home in Santa Ana. Their father would not allow the girls to pay any rent out of their salaries-Ynez was a teacher and Hazel was a stenographer. They asked Alfred if he would build a house on Catalina if they came up with the money for a lot. Alfred agreed, knowing that there was no way the girls would come up with the money. What Alfred did not know was that their mother had been putting away the money the girls would have paid in rent inside a cookie jar. When the girls presented the money to their father, Alfred was true to his word and he built by hand the house along Catalina Avenue (completed in 1921) which the family still enjoys today. Later, Ynez and Hazel retired in that family home. Ynez loved sleeping on the sunporch and listening to the soothing voice of Vin Scully broadcasting Dodger games. Michele took her grandmother to her first Dodger game when she was in her 80's. They met Vin Scully at the game and Michele said that Ynez was absolutely thrilled to meet him-Michele had a magical way of making people smile.
Michele spent 50 wonderful years with the love of her life, Paul Bestudik. Always doing things their fun way, they were married atop Northstar Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe by California Supreme Court Justice Frank Richardson (good friend of Michele's dad Wally Hyde). The wedding party then skied down the hill for the wedding reception. Paul and Michele moved full-time to the island in 1988. They started the popular sandwich shop, Pelican Cove, where they employed many young family members during the summer. Paul and Michele spent many fun holidays with Paul's daughters, Brandi Sanchez (Jorge) and Kristen Cook. Brandi and Kristen spent much time on the Island and became very close with Michele's sister Gayley, niece Lisa Gurney (Justin) and nephew Trent Moore. There were fun trips to Club 33 in Disneyland where the kids got a kick out of the secret private entrance and high-end fine dining smack in the middle of Disneyland. Michele enjoyed swimming at Step Beach with the kids and their "son", Rocky, who was a beautiful Springer Spaniel. The family also had a tradition of swimming around the big old red and white barnacled buoy at Lover's Cove. One Easter, Michele dressed all the kids in bunny ears to meet Paul at the boat in Avalon. The family loved the old bring your own meat dinners and potato/ salad bar at Descanso Beach Club.
Michele spent many years helping run the Inn at Mt. Ada. Prior to the Wrigley Mansion becoming an Inn, Michele would sneak onto the deck with her college friends and paint their nails.
Michele had fantastic style and was always fashionable. In the 80's she drove a fun white Fiat convertible while wearing gorgeous scarves and stylish sunglasses-she looked amazing. Michele gave family and friends birthday cards with her unique touch of creativity drawing with bright and happy colors.
Michele was always fun and up for an adventure. Her childhood Island friends remember cooking hot dogs, and laughing while camping at the Mausoleum and next to empty crypts prior to the Botanical Gardens being built.
Michele was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects and was later historian and film liaison for the Island Company. This led to a great love of her life, the Sunshine Kids. Michele loved putting on a special day for groups of children and teenagers suffering from cancer for their day on Catalina Island. Michele was quoted in the Islander (2018) saying, "People on the island just absolutely adore these kids and I can't tell you how many step up to help." That Islander article noted how these kids found Catalina to be a "magical place" and for one day, it was truly "like no other place on earth."
Michele's family is grateful to many islanders who helped her battle cancer. Those include the staff at Avalon Hospital and Clinic. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to catalinahumane.org or catalinamuseum.org.
Avalon has lost a unique and fun island girl. Next time you're looking at the sun glistening off the Avalon Harbor, think of Island girl Michele and her description of light on the harbor as "shiny pennies".