My sincerest condolences to all of Mike's family. Like you, we are all trying to understand and accept the loss of such a wonderful person who loved, laughed and lived in such a big way. It was both cathartic and comforting to share the celebration of Mike's wonderful life with others this past week. It was truly a Mike-style event and he was surely watching over us and enjoying the energy and love that was in the room. He would have wanted it no other way.
I was lucky enough to be a part of Mike's sales team while at Marriott, where he blazed a trail like no other. Those were my greatest days at Marriott and Mike pushed us to be the best and to always think outside the proverbial box. There were so many great stories from those days that I will always cherish. I will always remember him telling us that the "internet" was the new big thing and it was going to change our lives; we laughed......he was right. Mike always had a way of looking into the future and seeing things most of us couldn't yet see.
More than anything he was a loving friend and mentor. He truly cared about each of us, and was genuinely interested in our lives, what made us tick and what we wanted to do. As much of an idea guy that Mike was, he equally encouraged that in all of us. If only I could have been one tenth the big thinker he was!
Although I had not seen Mike in a few years, reliving the wonderful memories we all shared with Mike has brought him close to my heart again, where he will remain every day of my life and where I will always smile when I think him.
May you find comfort in knowing how much he was loved and may his sly smile, hardy laughter and true passion stay in your hearts and keep him with you always.