Michael Skinner

Mike Skinner was a man with nerves of steel, an iron will, and a heart of pure gold. He was a very generous, caring man, and the best friend a man could have. Mike was a loving son, brother, father and friend, who always looked out for the people around him. Most of all, Mike was a loyal, loving man, whose love lives on today in all who knew him.

Mike’s story began on a cold fall day in 1940, in the little town of Constantine, Michigan. Those were anxious times in this country, which watched as the world went to war once again, and quietly prepared for its inevitable battle. But on November 9, 1940, Keith and Jane (Eddy) Skinner found a reason to celebrate, with the birth of their first child, a baby boy they named Michael.

Mike would be joined by two little brothers in his family’s home, Stephen and Gregory, who were five and seven years his junior. Shortly after Mike was born, the family moved to Kalamazoo, where he grew up and lived most of his life.

Mike was a great big brother, who loved to tease his little brothers when he had the chance, even though he always looked out for them, too. His parents both worked to make ends meet, so Mike was an important part of his siblings’ upbringing.

Mike attended Milwood Elementary School as a boy, and later Kalamazoo Central High School. He was a very normal young man, who loved to play ball and hang out with his friends after school. When he was in high school, he was active in the theater, and had a great “stage whisper.” Mike also got his first car in high school, a beautiful, 1954 Mercury complete with a Corvette engine! He loved that car, and so did his friends.

After graduating from high school, Mike began attending Western Michigan University for awhile, until he decided college wasn’t for him. So he left school, and worked a few different jobs around town. Eventually, he joined the Army in 1960, proudly serving his country for the next three years.

When he was discharged as a stronger and more mature man, Mike returned to Kalamazoo, and began a new life. He had met a young woman named Joyce Hiatt before he went in the service, and when he returned home the two fell in love and were married on February 15, 1964, a belated Valentine’s Day celebration.

It wasn’t long before the newlyweds became parents, as well. Their son Jeff was born in 1965, and their daughter Michelle rounded out the family in 1967. His marriage to Joyce ended in the mid seventies, but he remained a loving and supportive father to his children.

Mike was a great provider, too, who was a tireless worker. He often worked two or three jobs at a time, putting in long hours to make ends meet. His fulltime job was at National Waterlift, a place he loved and was loved by his coworkers. He was also a strong supporter of the union there, too.

In the mid-1980s, Mike met a woman named Linda Smith, and the two hit it off. They enjoyed a great courtship, and were married in 1985. These were very happy times for him, though the marriage wouldn’t last. He was diagnosed with diabetes, and his declining health created a strain on his marriage, which ended later in the 80s. Though he never married again, Mike had many good friends and family members to rely on.

Mike was a very loyal, caring man, who always looked out for those around him, from his coworkers to the many friends he made everywhere he went. He was a big guy with a big personality, a very opinionated man with a unique sense of humor. Mike was always joking around with people, and loved making them laugh. He had a very dry sense of humor, and enjoyed teasing people in an endearing way.

He also had a heart of pure gold, and when his friends needed help or a place to stay, Mike was always there for them, offering to lend a hand or his home to them. As a result, he earned the nickname, “Mother.”

Mike was a great friend to many, and especially to man’s best friend. He always loved dogs, ever since his family picked up a stray during their trip to California when he was a kid. He loved that stray, named “Kimo,” and had several other dogs he named Kimo in his lifetime. He loved any kind of dog, really, and was an animal lover in general, too.

Mike had other things he enjoyed, from cheering on his favorite Detroit sports teams, to bowling, and playing golf. When he was younger, he also umpired softball games in his free time, too. He also enjoyed gambling, and made several trips out to Laughlin, Nevada to go to the casinos.

Due to his declining health and diabetes, Mike needed to retire early in 1998. He tried to stay as active as possible, and became a beloved regular at Julianna’s Restaurant in Kalamazoo. He befriended the owners there, who appreciated Mike’s outgoing personality. They also owned the Galesburg Speedway, and invited Mike to work there part-time. Mike loved working at the track, and enjoyed being around people.

He also enjoyed spending more time with his family in retirement. After working so hard for so long, he loved having time to really get to know his children, and also his beautiful granddaughter, Natalie, who was truly his pride and joy.

Mike’s health declined further in 2007, and he sadly died on Saturday, December 29, 2007, at Borgess Medical Center, at the age of 67.

Mike was a wonderful man, a man with an iron will and a heart of gold. He was always looking out for those around him, from his coworkers, to his friends, to his family. Mike was a loving son, brother, father, and grandfather, but more than anything, Mike was simply a good man, and a great friend. He will be greatly missed.

Learn more about Mike, view his Life Story film, and visit with his family and friends Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, RDMG ,Portage, 5975 Lovers Lane. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the same location. Members of Mike’s family include his son Jeff of Kalamazoo, his daughter Michelle and her husband Scott Grinder of Portage, a brother Stephen and his wife Joanne of Macomb. He is also survived by his granddaughter Natalie Grinder and several nieces. He follows in death his parents, J. Keith Skinner and Jane H. Skinner (Eddy) and his brother Gregory.

Please visit Mike’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can share a favorite memory or photo, or sign his memory book. Memorial donations may be made to the Kalamazoo Humane Society.